Al Skinner
Al Skinner | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 16, 1952 |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, college basketball coach |
| Known for | Head coach of Boston College Eagles men's basketball, head coach at Kennesaw State University |
Albert Lee Skinner Jr. (born June 16, 1952) is an American former collegiate and professional basketball player who transitioned into a men's college basketball head coaching role. He has led the Boston College Eagles men's basketball program, served as an assistant coach at Bryant University, and took over as head coach at Kennesaw State University in 2015.
College
Skinner competed for the University of Massachusetts during his collegiate years. In his freshman season (1970–71), he played alongside Julius Erving, who would later become his teammate in the professional ranks. Rick Pitino was also among his college teammates.
Over three varsity seasons, Skinner amassed 1,235 points, consistently leading UMass in rebounds annually and topping the scoring charts during his junior and senior years. In his final year, he averaged a double-double with 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, finishing as the leading scorer in the Yankee Conference. On December 28, 1973, Skinner achieved UMass’s inaugural triple-double by recording 28 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game against St. Peter's.
A three-time Yankee Conference First Team honoree, Skinner captained the team and guided UMass to back-to-back conference championships in 1972–73 and 1973–74. He also received All-America honorable mention recognition in his senior season.
UMass retired his jersey number 30 on February 18, 2004.
Professional
Selected by the Boston Celtics as the 160th pick in the 1974 NBA draft, Skinner did not play for them. Instead, he signed with the New York Nets of the ABA, reuniting with Julius Erving to secure the ABA championship in the 1975–76 season.
His professional career spanned both ABA and NBA teams including the Nets (1974–77, 1978–79), Pistons (1977–78), and 76ers (1979–80).
An unusual highlight of Skinner’s career is that he remains the only NBA player to be listed as DNP (Did Not Play) for both competing teams in a single game. This occurred during a protested match between the Nets and 76ers in 1978; after being traded before the replayed portion of the game, Skinner appeared on both rosters without participating in the resumed contest.
Marist and Rhode Island
Following his playing days, Skinner entered college coaching as an assistant at Marist from 1982 to 1984 and then at the University of Rhode Island between 1984 and 1988. He succeeded Tom Penders as head coach at Rhode Island in 1988 and remained at the helm for nine seasons.
During his tenure, Skinner was honored as the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year for the 1991–92 season. He recruited impactful players such as Cuttino Mobley and Tyson Wheeler, who were instrumental in leading Rhode Island to an Elite Eight appearance in the 1997–98 NCAA tournament. Under Skinner’s guidance, URI participated twice each in both the NIT and NCAA tournaments. His contributions were recognized with induction into Rhode Island’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Boston College
Skinner was appointed head coach at Boston College on April 17, 1997, following Jim O'Brien’s departure to coach at Ohio State. With most key players departing alongside O'Brien, Skinner inherited a significantly weakened roster. As a result, Boston College struggled during his initial three seasons, managing only twelve wins within Big East competition and totaling thirty-two victories overall.
The program experienced a resurgence in the 2000–01 season when Skinner led Boston College to its first Big East regular season title in eighteen years with a conference record of 13–3. The Eagles also captured the Big East tournament championship that year and secured a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament. For these achievements, Skinner earned national Coach of the Year honors along with recognition from the Big East.
In the 2004–05 campaign, Boston College became the inaugural Big East team to begin a season with a perfect 20–0 record and climbed as high as #3 in the AP Poll rankings. Despite winning another conference regular season crown, they were eliminated early in the Big East tournament quarterfinals and suffered an upset loss to #12 seed Milwaukee during March Madness. Skinner was once again named Big East Coach of the Year.
The following year’s squad posted a school-record 28–8 mark and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen round—matching Boston College’s second-deepest run in NCAA history. During this period, Skinner surpassed O'Brien’s win total to become Boston College’s all-time leader in coaching victories.
By the conclusion of the 2009–10 season, Skinner had guided Boston College to seven NCAA Tournament appearances alongside one NIT bid.
On March 30, 2010, Skinner was dismissed after experiencing only his second losing season since taking over in 2000. Nearly one year later, he publicly defended his tenure through an interview with Boston Globe, underscoring his commitment to program integrity and student-athlete graduation rates. He expressed confidence that Boston College would have been more nationally competitive during the subsequent season had he remained head coach—a statement that fueled ongoing debate regarding his firing.
Bryant
In 2013, Skinner took on the role of assistant coach at Bryant University, working under his former colleague Tim O'Shea. This position marked his return to coaching following his departure from Boston College.
Kennesaw State
Skinner was named the sixth head coach in the history of Kennesaw State on April 26, 2015, taking over the position from Jimmy Lallathin.
On February 21, 2019, Skinner declared his intention to step down from his head coaching duties at Kennesaw State at the conclusion of that season.
Two teams, same game
During the 1978–79 season, Skinner was part of a trade sending him and Eric Money from the New Jersey Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Harvey Catchings and Ralph Simpson. This transaction occurred in the aftermath of a protest by the Nets regarding officiating in a prior matchup against the 76ers. Although New Jersey had initially won that game, it was suspended due to an illegal third technical foul assessed to head coach Kevin Loughery. The league sided with the Nets' appeal and resumed play during their next encounter, by which time the trade had taken place. Players involved were permitted to represent their new teams in the continuation; however, Skinner did not participate as he had not been dressed for the original contest.
Notes
- In 2004, Skinner was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
- While leading Boston College, Skinner hosted a weekly half-hour radio program titled the Al Skinner Show on WEEI. The show was recorded live before an audience at the Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill.
- Renowned for his distinctive style, Skinner earned the moniker "Coach Handsome" among Boston College supporters. He consistently wore ties during home games but preferred polos or mock turtlenecks when on the road and reportedly never repeated the same suit within a single season.
- Skinner also acted as a brand ambassador for Eastern Clothing of Watertown, a prominent men's apparel retailer located near Boston College.