Appropriately, Bashir Mason’s first career win as a head coach was a defensive battle, a 38-36 Wagner victory over North Carolina Central on Nov. 24.

After all, Mason earned a spot on the Colonial Athletic Association All-Defensive Team during each of his four years at Drexel from 2003-2007.

“First and foremost, he’s a defensive guy,” said Wagner assistant coach Mike Babul, who was part of Drexel’s coaching staff during Mason’s career. “He took pride in it as a player. And he’s definitely taking pride in it as a coach.”

Despite the low scores that read in the box score, Mason’s age is even lower. Mason is only 28 years old, the youngest coach in Division I. One season after the Seahawks finished 25-6 under Dan Hurley and narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament, Mason has Wagner (9-6, 3-1 Northeast) tied for second place in its conference.

Mason’s impressive playing career at Drexel triggered his coaching opportunities. With the Dragons, he was a four-year starter as point guard.

“Bash was a team leader on the court for us right away. He took control of the team and made an immediate impact with us,” Drexel head coach James “Bruiser” Flint said in an email via Drexel Athletic Communications. “He was a leader of a very good team.”

After his four years with the Dragons, Mason said he had a slight chance at arranging tryouts with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets. When both fell through, he turned to coaching, something he thought about since his sophomore year at Drexel.

“Coaches around me, based on how I led as a point guard, I guess they saw a coach in me,” Mason said, referring to Flint and Hurley, who he communicates with on a weekly basis. “They sort of started to nurture the coach in me and start to mentor me about coaching.”

Hurley was Mason’s high school coach at St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.).

Mason served on Hurley’s staff at Wagner as an assistant from 2010-2012. Before Wagner, Mason was an assistant coach at Marist. Prior to that, though, Mason led St. Benedict’s to a state championship in his first-ever head-coaching job in 2007-2008.

In March, Hurley left Wagner after two years as head coach to take the same role at Rhode Island.

Wagner Athletic Director Walt Hameline said the school received calls from coaches across the country interested in the position. Mason wasn’t being considered just yet.

“I had a short list, which most ADs probably do. He probably was not on that short list,” Hameline said. “The players said ‘Hey, why do you want to go outside when you have a guy who knows us, knows the program?’”

Flint and Hurley spoke highly of Mason, too, and Hameline promoted the 28-year-old to be Wagner’s 18th head coach. Mason said head coaching initially scared him, but his family and friends assured him he could handle the job.

Wagner’s location in Staten Island, N.Y., 15 minutes from his hometown of Jersey City, N.J., pushed Mason to take the job. Being so close to home – close enough to have dinner with his mother once or twice a week – is an aspect Mason loves about his often-hectic job.

“That makes it real special for me to be able to coach in front of my family and friends every day,” Mason said.

Despite Mason’s age, the rigors of Division I head coaching and trying to repeat last year’s “shocking” amount of success, as Mason described it, the Seahawks are back in contention.

Wagner lost four of its first six games to start the year, as injuries ravaged the Seahawks’ rotation. But the Seahawks responded well, winning seven of their next eight contests.

There aren’t many advantages to being a 28-year-old head coach. But what intrigues a 28-year-old head coach is the possibility of holding that job for a long time.

“I said this at my press conference, and I wasn’t just saying it; Wagner is my dream job,” Mason said. “My goal is to build Wagner into a powerhouse and a constant contender for the NCAA Tournament. If I’m here for 20, 30 years, that isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

Published on January 17, 2013 at 12:48 am
Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb