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Staten Island, NY – Bashir Mason was introduced today in the VIP Room of the Second Floor of the Spiro Sports Center as the 18th Wagner Head Men’s Basketball Coach by School President Dr. Richard Guarasci and Athletic Director Walt Hameline.

With his appointment, Mason becomes the youngest Division I coach in America at 28 (2/11/84) and is the youngest first-year Seahawk mentor since P.J. Carlesimo assumed the reigns of the program at 27 in 1976.

“I’d like to thank Dr. Guarasci, our president, Athletic Director Walt Hameline and the entire search committee for first selecting me as one of the candidates and secondly to select me as the head coach,” said Mason.

Over the last two years at Wagner, Mason has helped transform a program that won just five games the year before he arrived into one that recorded a school-record 25 victories last season. Also during his short time on Grymes Hill, Mason has been instrumental in helping develop the Seahawk guards into one of the top units in the conference. Last season, senior Tyler Murray and sophomore Latif Rivers were named to the Northeast Conference (NEC) Second Team while sophomore Kenneth Ortiz garnered Defensive Player of the Year honors.

This past season, Mason helped the Green & White to a school-record 25 victories, including a 59-54 win at No. 15 Pitt

"We’ve started something here for the past two years with this team, raising young men and building them to be good student-athletes,” said Mason. “That job isn’t done yet. Wagner Basketball is here to stay. It is on the rise for many years to come.”

Wagner returns 10 letterwinners, including four starters, from last year’s team that went 25-6 (15-3 NEC).

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagnerHoops for news and updates on the men's basketball program.

Notes: Mason's mother, aunt and sisters were at the press conference as well as the Wagner Seahawk basketball team ... Additionally Mason's college mentor James "Brusier" Flint was able to attend along with his Drexel coaching staff ... Mason's former Drexel teammate Chaz Crawford also attended the ceremony ... Both Crawford and Mason collected Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year Awards while with the Dragons.