Saint Peter’s Hires Wagner’s Bashir Mason as next Head Coach
Even before the cinderella run to the Elite Eight, Saint Peter’s knew they’d be searching for a new head coach, with Shaheen Holloway being a shoe-in for the Seton Hall job long before the Peacocks were eliminated. Their search took them a little longer than many would expect, but it ended with the hire of Wagner’s Bashir Mason.
Mason, a Jersey City native, played under Dan Hurley at St. Benedict’s in high school before playing for James Flint as a four year starter at Drexel. After graduating from Drexel, Mason was an assistant for Hurley at his alma mater for a year, coaching numerous players that would earn Division I scholarships. Mason then coached as an assistant at Marist under Chuck Martin, who was an assistant for Drexel during Mason’s freshman year. After two seasons there, Mason accepted the position as Dan Hurley’s assistant at Wagner. Once Hurley left for Rhode Island after two seasons, Mason became the next Head Coach of the Seahawks at just 28 years old, the youngest coach in Division I.
In Mason’s 10 years as the Wagner coach, the Seahawks won 3 NEC Regular Season titles and an NIT game in 2016. Mason was Wagner’s fastest ever coach to 100 wins, and has orchestrated road upset wins over UConn, VCU, and St. Bonaventure. This past year, Wagner started the season 17–2 before Elijah Ford got injured, and stumbled to finish the season, including a 70–43 loss in the NEC Championship game to Bryant. While the Seahawks didn’t make an NCAA Tournament under Mason, they were one of the NEC’s best teams year in year out, netting him 3 NEC Coach of the Year Awards.
Mason returns home to Jersey City to take the Saint Peter’s job amidst five Peacocks recently entering the transfer portal, and still awaiting a decision on the future of three-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Year KC Ndefo. With Mason, the Peacocks get a young but experienced coach who is not only a great basketball mind, but also knows the area, a home run hire.
