Saint Peter’s turns to Bashir Mason as next head coach

Bashir Mason, a Jersey City native, returns home as Wagner head coach will replace Shaheen Holloway at Saint Peter’s. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Bashir Mason got his first head coaching experience a decade ago when replacing a rising star. Ten years later, he will do it again.

Mason, who was the youngest head coach in the nation when he replaced Dan Hurley at Wagner in 2012, is set to cross the Hudson River, leaving Staten Island for his native Jersey City and NCAA Tournament darling Saint Peter’s, per multiple reports Tuesday.

Now a veteran in the coaching ranks despite his relative youth at 38, Mason comes home in the wake of Shaheen Holloway leaving the Peacocks after guiding them to the Elite Eight — the first No. 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to reach a regional final — to take over at his alma mater, Seton Hall. A press conference to introduce Mason is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday on the Saint Peter’s campus.

Mason, the popular choice to replace Hurley after the current UConn head coach left Wagner for Rhode Island, compiled a 165-130 record in ten seasons as his successor. During his time on the bench, Mason guided the Seahawks to three Northeast Conference regular season championships and three trips to the postseason championship game, as well as a victory over St. Bonaventure in the 2016 National Invitation Tournament. Under his tutelage, Wagner guard Alex Morales became the first NEC player to win consecutive Player of the Year awards in almost a quarter-century, and also captured Defensive Player of the Year honors. Known for his defensive mindset himself as both a coach and a player during his time at Drexel and before that at St. Anthony, where he honed his skills under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley, Mason is also a three-time NEC Coach of the Year recipient, earning the recognition in 2016, 2018 and 2021 after guiding Wagner to conference championships each season.

Mason will need to retool his new roster, as five Saint Peter’s players are presently in the transfer portal following Holloway’s exodus. One of those five, Doug Edert, committed to Bryant and head coach Jared Grasso — Mason’s now-former adversary — on Saturday following his breakout March, where he hit clutch shots against Monmouth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game and in the Peacocks’ NCAA Tournament upset of Kentucky.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.