Details on the new Tony Skinn contract at George Mason: Much more money than I’d expected

We have the details on the contract extension signed last week by George Mason basketball coach Tony Skinn, who has led his team to back-to-back 20-win seasons in his first two years as the head coach at his alma mater.

The contract, obtained from GMU through a public-records request, is a lot more lucrative than I’d expected – the deal gives Skinn a base salary of $1.7 million for the coming season, and increases by $100,000 a year through its end date, at the end of the 2029-2030 season.

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This is the second extension for Skinn in as many offseasons.

Note: I don’t have the line-by-line details on the extension that Skinn signed last spring.

I have to admit, sheepishly, that I didn’t think to ask for that when I filed my Freedom of Information Act request with the school.

His first contract, a five-year deal signed in the spring of 2023, when Skinn was hired to replace Kim English, who left Mason after a short two-year stint to take the job at Providence, paid Skinn $925,000 a year, with $25,000 annual raises.

The second extension also gives Skinn a $50,000 annual retention bonus, and sets into motion an automatic one-year extension if his team earns an invite to the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.

There’s one other rather interesting trigger for an automatic one-year extension that kicks in if either George Mason University President Gregory Washington or the AD, Marvin Lewis, step down from their current jobs during the contract term.

One final note: the buyout for Skinn if he leaves is rather light, at $1.2 million if he leaves next March, and that drops $200,000 a year through the duration of the deal.

Skinn earned all of this after leading his team to a 27-9 mark this past season, and a share of the A-10 regular-season title, with VCU.

Mason lost a heartbreaker to the Rams in the A-10 Tournament final, 68-63, missing on a chance to tie with an open three in the final seconds.

In a press release announcing the extension last week, Lewis said, of Skinn, that “there is no better ambassador for our university. Tony truly embodies what it means to be a Patriot. Under his leadership, we secured our first A-10 conference title and have elevated our national profile in the process.”

“As one of the most dynamic young coaches in the country, retaining Tony was a top priority for our university. With him at the helm, the program’s brightest days are still to come,” Lewis said.

“I’m proud of what we’ve built over these two years, most importantly because of where we’ve built it,” said Skinn, the 2025 A-10 Coach of the Year. “George Mason gave me an opportunity 20 years ago, and without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It means the world to have reestablished the championship culture we took so much pride in as players here. I appreciate the continued support of Dr. Washington and Marvin Lewis as we navigate this new college basketball landscape and position ourselves on the national stage.”