George Mason gives basketball coach Tony Skinn a two-year contract extension

George Mason University is giving basketball coach Tony Skinn his third contract extension in three years.

The school announced the extension on Thursday, with the only detail released publicly to date being that it’s a two-year extension, which ties Mason and Skinn together through 2032.

I’ve got a FOIA request in to see if the extension also includes another raise.

The extension that he signed in the spring of 2025 gave Skinn a base salary of $1.7 million for the 2025-2026 season, and increases of $100,000 a year through its end date, which was set at the time to be the end of the 2029-2030 season.

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.

English, incidentally, was let go by Providence after a disappointing three-season run, in which the Friars had just one winning season – his first, in 2023-2024, with a 21-14 finish, which concluded with a first-round loss in the NIT.

English is now on the staff of new UNC Basketball coach Michael Malone, who won an NBA championship in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets.

Skinn is a Mason alum who scored 12.6 points per game for the 2006 Final Four team.

Each of his three teams has won at least 20 games – he is 70-31 overall in three seasons as the head coach at his alma mater.

“Tony represents everything we value in George Mason men’s basketball and in our broader athletics program,” said Marvin Lewis, the athletics director at GMU, in a quote highlighted in a press release issued by the school on Thursday. “In just three seasons, he has elevated our competitive standard, delivered sustained success on the court, and built a culture rooted in accountability, player development, and integrity. This extension reflects our confidence in Tony’s vision, his leadership, and his commitment to continuing to position George Mason as a nationally respected program. We’re excited about what lies ahead for Patriot basketball under his direction.”

“This extension is a testament to what our staff and players have built together while bringing the vision of Patriot Pressure to life,” Skinn said, per the press release. “We’ve set a strong foundation over these past three years and will continue to elevate our collective standard. I’m grateful to our fans and administration who have invested in this program and understand what it takes to compete at the national level. The best is yet to come.”