Towson University and men’s basketball coach Pat Skerry have agreed to a contract extension, the school announced. The deal is pending approval from the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Coach Skerry has consistently finished in the top three of the conference every year and he is knocking on the door to get this program to the NCAA tournament,” Towson director of athletics Tim Leonard said. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the job Pat has done.
“Coach Skerry is well-regarded throughout college basketball as an outstanding coach and a man who conducts his program with integrity and class. Not only has he attained incredible success on the court, he is also a leader in our community. This spring when other schools started talking with Pat, we worked over the summer to get this done. He’s an important fixture here at Towson and I feel he’s the coach that will get us to the NCAA tournament.”
Over the past five years, the Tigers have won 105 games, including a CAA-best 53 conference wins. They have three 20 win seasons over the span and are coming off of consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history.
Participating in the postseason has become the norm as the Tigers have made two postseason appearances in the last four seasons.
Currently, Towson has won 10 consecutive games and is off to its best start in its Division I era at 10-1. Towson is ranked fourth in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The Tigers are also receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25.
The success has carried over into the classroom as Skerry has a 100 percent graduation rate. Towson had a perfect four-year score in the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) numbers that was released earlier this year. The Tigers also earned public recognition from the NCAA for posting scores in the top 10 percent of their sport.
In addition to the athletic and academic success, the Tigers also made an impact in the community this year. The Tigers ranked first nationally in Division I men’s team sports for their community service activities in the 2017 NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition.
Skerry was named the 2017 Gene Bartow Award winner, recognizing outstanding achievement and contributions to the game. Skerry along with current University of South Florida assistant coach Tom Herrion started Coaches Powering Forward, an autism awareness weekend each season in college basketball where hundreds of coaches and media members wear a blue puzzle piece pin on their lapel.
Skerry was named the CAA Coach of the Year following the 2012-13 season after leading Towson to the greatest single-season turnaround in Division I history. He was also recognized by the NABC with its Guardian of the Game award.
“I am excited for the continued opportunity to serve Towson University,” Skerry said. “I am especially thankful to Dr. Schatzel and Mr. Leonard for their belief in me and our program. My family and I love Towson, both the University and the community. I have been fortunate to work with great people on campus, an outstanding basketball staff and most importantly, our student-athletes, past and present.”
