Just 0.6 miles from Run Baby Run Arena, at one of the highest geographical points in all of Jersey City, Bashir Mason was born on February 11, 1984.
Back then, Run Baby Run arena was still the Yanitelli Center, yet to receive the $5 million renovation it would in 2021, but while Mason was beginning his life just down the road, the Peacocks were beginning what would be a five-game winning streak to end the regular season with a narrow victory over MAAC rival Manhattan, one of their 23 wins that season en route to an NIT berth.
It was one of the most successful seasons Saint Peter’s has had in the last three decades, at least until Saint Peter’s shocked the world last month with a trip to the Elite Eight, bringing head coach Shaheen Holloway home to Seton Hall, and bringing Mason home to Jersey City.
“Life comes at you fast, and full circle sometimes,” Mason said during Wednesday’s introductory press conference, announcing the Jersey City native as the 16th head coach in program history. “My family, my grandmother and grandfather, they raised my mom, all my aunts and uncles, five minutes up the road, right on Montgomery.
“We’re very familiar with Saint Peter’s University and Montgomery Street.”
Mason never strayed too far from home, making himself known as a standout point guard at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark before playing collegiately at Drexel, and reunited with his high school coach Dan Hurley as an assistant at Wagner in 2010.
Hurley left in 2012, and is now UConn’s head coach, and Mason took over the reins at Wagner. What followed was a 10-year run that saw Mason reach 100 wins faster than any coach in Seahawks history, capped off with a 21-win campaign this past season, which included a spot in the NEC tournament title game, a program-best 15 conference wins, and four all-conference contributors, the most ever by a Wagner team.
That success came on the heels of a 25-win season under Hurley before he departed for Rhode Island, leaving Mason with the daunting task of trying to replicate that success.
“I had to replace the Hurley last name and the team that won the most games in school history,” Mason said, via NorthJersey.com. “And my first year we went 19-12, but I spent a lot of nights in a dark room thinking I wasn’t good enough or living up to the standard or expectation. Ten years later, I have a lot of belief and confidence in who I am as a coach, and I am going to work hard so that this program continues to move forward.”
Now, back home in Jersey City, Mason faces a similar challenge. The Peacocks just became the first 15 seed to ever reach the Elite Eight, and staked their claim as one of the most improbable Cinderella stories that the NCAA Tournament has ever seen. Trying to replicate that level of success that helped Holloway land the head coaching job at his alma mater is not something Mason will take lightly.
“The run you guys have made this past year, going to the Elite Eight as a 15 seed…there won’t be anything that happens in sports, the rest of this year at least, can overshadow what you guys did,” Mason said.
“I know how important of a decision this was, especially with the run this team just made. I know that this was a job that people were coming out of the woodworks for….I won’t let you guys down.”
While Mason returns to a familiar place, he believes the Peacocks will find a similar coaching style to Holloway, who will now forever be royalty in Jersey City.
“I’ve known Shaheen since I was in seventh grade,” Mason said. “I know how difficult it could have been playing for him, how intense he is…I suggest you guys communicate with these guys over here and get the cliff notes. I’m gonna challenge you every single day.”
Of course, the roster may not be familiar at all, as five St. Peter’s players entered the transfer portal after Holloway’s exit, with Doug Edert already transferring to Bryant, the school that bounced Mason’s Seahawks in the NEC championship game. Some Saint Peter’s players haven’t decided if they will indeed transfer, but whatever the outcome, Mason is ready to hit the ground running. He is familiar with the area, the school, and the situation that awaits him in succeeding a household name that took the program he is taking over to new heights.
“We can’t complain about how many guys go into the portal and look to transfer,” Mason said. “You’ve always have to have irons in the fire. I think we have done a good job in recruiting to Wagner. I think, I hope a lot of those guys would like to join me here, depending on how the roster shakes out.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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