University of Massachusets Athletics
A Tribute To Al Skinner
February 10, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2004
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts athletic director John McCutcheon has announced that "A Tribute to Al Skinner" will take place next Wednesday, February 18, presented by Coca-Cola, the UMass Alumni Association, Kraft, the UMass Court Club and the Nathan Agencies. The school will retire Skinner's No. 30 jersey at halftime of the game between UMass and Rhode Island. Special guests expected to be in attendance include former UMass coach Jack Leaman and former UMass players Julius Erving and Rick Pitino. In addition, the first 500 fans to arrive at the Mullins Center for the game will receive free commemorative Al Skinner t-shirts.
A three-time letterwinner in basketball at UMass, Skinner led the team in rebounding from 1971-1974, totaling 749 rebounds. He set a school record for highest career field goal percentage at UMass (.557), and held the single season record (.620) for nearly 20 years. Skinner was a three-time first-team All-Yankee Conference selection, and helped UMass to two Yankee Conference titles. He also led the league in scoring in 1974, averaging 18.7 points per game, and became only the eighth player in school history to join the 1,000-point club, finishing his career with 1,235 points. Skinner was inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.
Upon completion of his UMass career, Skinner went on to play with the New York Nets in the American Basketball Association, and was a member of their 1976 ABA championship team. When the Nets joined the National Basketball Association the next year, Skinner was named team captain and Players' Association representative. After spending a season with the Detroit Pistons, Skinner returned to the Nets in 1978 and then played for the Philadelphia 76ers. Skinner also played in Barcelona, Spain, and led his team to a European championship.
Following the completion of his professional career, Skinner went into coaching. He served as the head coach at the University of Rhode Island from 1988-1997, posting a record of 138-126 with two NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 1997, Skinner has served as the head coach at Boston College, posting a record of 103-85 with two NCAA Tournament appearances. He was named 1992 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, 2001 Big East Coach of the Year, and 2001 National Coach of the Year.
