George Mason University men’s basketball head coach Tony Skinn announced Tuesday that Steve Curran will join his staff as associate head coach.
A principal architect of St. Bonaventure’s development into one of the Atlantic 10’s preeminent powers, Curran has worked alongside Mark Schmidt for the past 13 seasons. He has served as associate head coach since 2018.
During that sustained stretch of excellence, the Bonnies have posted five 20-win campaigns, captured three NCAA Tournament berths (2021, 2018, 2012) and made a pair of NIT appearances (2022, 2016).
St. Bonaventure has recorded an 103-55 (.652) Atlantic 10 record since 2014-15 and captured five total league titles.
“When you’re an associate head coach next to a successful head coach, you’ve been in difficult in-game situations where you’ve just figured it out,” Skinn said. “Steve’s been in that seat and he’s been such a huge part of St. Bonaventure’s success. I know I’m going to be in those situations and his experience in this league will be invaluable. He knows the Atlantic 10 and what it takes to win consistently in our conference. I am thrilled he is a part of our staff.”
From 2014-15 to 2021-22, St. Bonaventure was the only Atlantic 10 program to win at least 10 conference games in each of those campaigns. The program’s NCAA Tournament victory over UCLA in 2019 was the program’s first since 1970.
Curran’s efforts as part of that standard of success earned him a spot as one of the nation’s “most impactful mid-major assistant coaches” according to Silver Waves Media in both 2020 and again in 2022.
“To be invited to be a part of Mason Nation is an honor I cherish,” Curran said. “I have deep respect for the culture of George Mason University, as well as its academic and athletic excellence. I thank Coach Tony for bringing me on as part of his team, and I can’t wait to begin recruiting and developing stellar student-athletes in our program. My 13 years at St. Bonaventure were wonderful, and that school and the surrounding area welcomed me and my family with open arms. I am thankful for that. Now, it’s time to use what I learned there to recruit in one of the hotbeds of high school basketball and continue to build upon this Mason program’s proud tradition.”
During his time in Olean, Curran worked as a tireless recruiter who brought in a host of all-conference players who would go on to professional success.
Curran recruited and developed All-A-10 talents Jaylen Adams, who was named the conference’s Co-Player of the Year as a senior and played in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks in 2019, as well as First Team selections Matt Mobley and Courtney Stockard who each now play professionally overseas.
He also recruited both Kyle Lofton and Dominick Welch as part of St. Bonaventure’s tremendous 2018-19 freshman class. An Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection, Lofton became one of the league’s top point guards and helped the Bonnies reach the A-10 Championship Game, picking up a spot on the A-10 All-Tournament Team in the process.
Curran also aided in the development of Osun Osunniyi who set the program record for freshman blocks and picked up A-10 All-Rookie and All-Defensive honors. As sophomores, Lofton was named First Team All-Conference while Osunniyi was named to the Third Team and became the fourth player in program history to be picked to the A-10’s All-Defensive Team multiple years. Lofton captured First Team All-A-10 honors again as a junior while Osunniyi became the program’s first A-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. In 2022, Osunniyi repeated as A-10 Defensive Player of the Year and set the program’s career blocks record.
Lofton would finish his Bonnies career as a four-time All-Atlantic 10 selection while ranking 13th in school history for scoring and third in assists. Welch, meanwhile, became a 1,000-point scorer while ranking third in Bonaventure history for career 3-pointers.
He has also helped develop other top Bonnies players including 2014 graduates Matthew Wright, Charlon Kloof and Marquise Simmons, as well as 2015 graduate Youssou Ndoye, all of whom are now playing professional basketball. Ndoye spent the 2015-16 season with the Austin Spurs of the NBA Developmental League and now plays in Europe while Wright, Kloof and Simmons have also found success playing overseas.
In 2017-18, Curran helped St. Bonaventure to a 26-8 record, an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament and a second-place finish in the Atlantic 10. The Bonnies’ 26 wins set the school record, capped by the NCAA victory over the Bruins. In addition, the season included a 13-game win streak, which was the longest for the program since 1970.
In the 2011-12 season, Curran helped the Bonnies to 20 wins, the program’s first A-10 championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2015-16, the Bonnies finished 22-9 and went 14-4 in the A-10, a program record for conference wins.
Prior to coming to St. Bonaventure, Curran served as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State for five seasons. Curran had previously worked as an assistant under Schmidt at Robert Morris from 2001-04.
During Curran’s five seasons at CCSU, the Blue Devils posted a Northeast Conference record of 56-34 and went 46-22 at home, including 33-12 in home regular season NEC action. In 2006-07, Curran helped the Blue Devils post a memorable run, winning 16 of 18 NEC games and three straight games in the NEC Tournament to advance to their third NCAA Tournament since 2000.
During his time at CCSU, the Blue Devils produced five first team All-Conference selections, 2011 NEC Player of the Year and CCSU all-time leading scorer Ken Horton, and two NEC Defensive Players of the Year. Curran also recruited the program’s first NEC Rookie of the Year in 2007-08, guard Shemik Thompson.
Prior to spending one season at Siena College in 2004-05, Curran was Schmidt’s assistant coach at Robert Morris for three seasons. Over that span, the Colonials won 28 conference games and qualified for the NEC Tournament twice. Curran helped recruit a trio of conference award winners in All-NEC selection Maurice Carter, 2003 All-Rookie Team member Derek Coleman, and 2008 Player of the Year Tony Lee.
Before he joined the staff at Robert Morris, Curran was an assistant with the University of New Hampshire from 1999-2001. He also served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Merrimack College, from 1994-99.
Curran earned a bachelor’s degree from Merrimack in business administration in 1992. As a player, he was Merrimack’s captain as a senior, leading the Warriors to a Northeast-10 Conference championship and the second of two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Curran was named First Team All-Conference as well as being named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America Second Team.
He is the father of three children: Casey, Tyler, and Katie.
