George Mason basketball coach Kim English announced Thursday that Nate Tomlinson will join his staff as an assistant coach.
Tomlinson – who is renowned for his international recruiting prowess – comes to Mason from the University of Colorado, where he served alongside English under head coach Tad Boyle.
As a player in Boulder, Tomlinson earned All-Pac 12 honors during a decorated four-year stint, before embarking on a six-season professional career in his native Australia.
“Nate and I have known each other since 2007,” English said. “We competed against each other in prep school and in the Big 12. I’ve always had great respect for his grit and toughness as a player. When we started working together at Colorado, those traits translated to his coaching. Accompanied with great work ethic and grind in recruiting, he has a brilliant mind for the game. He will be a tremendous asset here as we begin this journey of turning George Mason into a national power.”
Tomlinson was a four-year letter winner for Colorado from 2008-12, averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 assists and just under one steal in 129 career games. He helped the Buffaloes claim the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament title in 2012, leading to the program’s first NCAA Tournament in nine years.
“I’m extremely excited to be reuniting with Kim at George Mason,” Tomlinson said. “We’ve developed a bond over 15 years going back to our prep school days in New England competing on the court. Our values, work ethic and vision are all aligned and I have great belief in him as a leader of young men. I can’t wait to get to Fairfax, roll up my sleeves and begin the work to get George Mason Basketball back to where it belongs. Mason Nation will be very proud of our team night in and night out.”
Colorado made a pair of postseason appearances during Tomlinson’s playing career. The Buffaloes set a school-record with 24 wins in 2010-11, culminating with a semifinal appearance in the 2011 NIT. Tomlinson was a part of 74 wins as a Buffalo, which at the time was the best in school history.
He is tied for sixth on the all-time CU assists list (406) and also holds that position in career games played (129) and started (111).
After graduating in 2012, he played professionally for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League in his native Australia (2012-18). Following his playing career, he joined the basketball staff at Shantou University in China, led by his father, Bill, for one season before returning to the United States in 2018.
Tomlinson returned to Boulder, joining Colorado as a coaching intern for the 2018-19 season. He also served has head coach of Team Colorado, the school’s alumni squad in The Basketball Tournament, in the summer of 2019, guiding the Buffaloes to the second round.
Tomlinson joins an impressive staff under English at Mason, which includes associate head coach Dennis Felton and assistant coach Duane Simpkins.
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AFP
