The Towson University men’s basketball team is on a roll. After a slow start to the season, the Tigers have won 15 of their last 16 games to finish the regular season at 21-10 overall and 16-2 in conference play, earning the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Coastal Athletic Association tournament.
With winning has come more attention and excitement around the program. The Tigers’ last two home games drew more than 4,000 fans to TU Arena, including a record 4,750 fans for a conference-clinching win over William & Mary.
Head coach Pat Skerry has been at the helm since 2011, turning around a program that struggled mightily before his arrival. While the NCAAs have eluded Skerry and the Tigers, they’ve won 20 or more games the past four seasons, and Skerry was just named a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award, recognizing the top Mid-Major coach in the country.
Ahead of the CAA Tournament—which runs from March 7-11 at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C.—we caught up with Skerry to chat about the team’s momentum, his coaching style, and what it would mean to finally punch a ticket to March Madness.
Coach, the team started slowly this year. You were 6-9 after 15 games. What turned things around?
Early in the season we had to deal with a lot of injuries and illnesses. We went on the road in non-conference play and didn’t have our leading scorer, Tyler Tejada, for six games, and then the flu hit our team on the way back. I don’t want to make excuses because we were in some of those games and could have won. But in a way it toughened us up. We were finally able to have a week of practice before the conference play started and that made a huge difference. We were finally able to find a rhythm.
How would you describe this team’s personality?
They’re connected, unselfish, and have a good sense of humor. At times, we can be too laid back. Like, we’ve been up six, seven points on teams this year and have struggled to put them away. The flip side is that they are incredibly calm in tight situations, and that has helped us. One phrase I use with this group more than any other is, “just play and trust your work.”
Your two top scorers are Dylan Williamson and Tyler Tejada. Both are sophomores who have stepped up their games this season. Can you tell us about them and what they bring to the team?
Dylan is super intelligent and really sees the game well. He’s improved a lot, especially his shooting, and he plays with supreme confidence. That belief in himself is something that really stands out. Tyler is a laid-back kid, but he’s an incredibly hard worker. In 33 years of doing this, I’ve never seen a player work harder than him. He’s changed his body, improved defensively, and he’s got some real shot-making ability.
Talk about your journey as a head coach. You’ve been at Towson for 14 seasons, which is a long run in this profession.
I’m fortunate that I’ve gotten to be here this long. I’m obviously paid to win games, but I’ve always said the relationships with your players and staff are really the best part of the job, and it’s been awesome to be at guy’s weddings or when they come back with their kids, or they call to say hello. It’s not what they pay you for, but it’s the best part of the job.
I think our basketball program is a microcosm of the university. We’re on the rise. We know how to work. Nothing is given to us. That symbolizes a lot of Towson University, the whole place has taken off.
We’ve seen dramatic change in college basketball the last few years with NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and the transfer portal. What’s your take?
Like it or not, this is the new reality and I’m comfortable with it. We have some donors who are not, but this is what I tell them; if we like winning our conference, which we did, then we need to invest in the retention of our players. One thing I can tell you is that we won this year with way less resources than the teams we’re being compared to at the top.
The NCAA Tournament drought for Towson goes back to 1991. What would it mean to break through?
I want it for our guys and our staff, especially the players because they work so hard. And I want it for our university and alumni. This is a special place and it really has risen over the last decade.
Do you pay attention to tournament predictions like ESPN Bracketology and things like that?
No. I know the guys read it, though. What I’ve told them is there’s pressure and there will always be pressure, but the pressure is to execute. March Madness really starts with conference tournaments.