Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has announced the hiring of assistant coach Tony Skinn. Skinn comes to Columbus follow a three-year stint as an assistant at Seton Hall.
“We are really excited about the addition of Tony Skinn as an assistant coach,” Holtmann said. “Tony comes highly recommended from every level – NBA, college, AAU and high school. Tony was an outstanding player on a Final Four team, and as a professional. He has developed a reputation in his coaching career as being a tremendous worker, he’s detailed oriented, builds excellent relationships with players and is an outstanding recruiter. He has strong ties in the DC Metro area and has worked with some highly successful high school, AAU and college programs. We can’t wait for him to get started. A big welcome to Tony, Weyni, Isaiah, Liam and Noelle to our program and The Ohio State University.”
“The opportunity to come to a program like Ohio State is very unique, and I’m grateful that Coach Holtmann has given me this opportunity,” said Skinn. “As a fan of basketball, the Ohio State brand is second to none and I’m excited to get to work. This is a very good team and program, and I hope with the experiences that I had as a player and now as a coach, that I can make a big impact. I’m not too far removed from the process of being a player. I know the culture and the mentality of the day-to-day grind, and I can put myself in their shoes and help them become a better basketball player.”
At Seton Hall, Skinn worked closely with the guards and helped Quincy McKnight become one of the best point guards in the BIG EAST. He also played an influential role in the development of Myles Powell who was the 2020 BIG EAST Player of the Year. Skinn was part of the Pirates fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019 which was a program record. The Pirates also won a BIG EAST regular season title in 2020 and was on track for another tournament bid.
Prior to Seton Hall, Skinn spent three seasons at Louisiana Tech where he helped lead the Bulldogs to 63 victories, including back-to-back 23-win seasons and a pair of top-four finishes in Conference USA.
Skinn, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Takoma Park, Md., played his college basketball at George Mason, where he was a 1,000-point scorer and two-time All-CAA selection. George Mason was the top college basketball story in 2006 when the Patriots earned an at-large bid and made a run to the Final Four. The March Madness run was deemed one of the most improbable and unexpected performances in college basketball history.
Skinn then spent seven years playing professionally overseas in Croatia, France, Italy, Germany, Israel and Ukraine before starting his coaching career. He is also a member of the Coaches For Action coalition of Black assistant coaches that seeks to bring awareness to the social injustice occurring against people of color.
https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tony-skinn-joins-mens-basketball-staff/
