SMU Athletics

George Lynch is in his sixth season at SMU (2017-18), his fourth as Director of Player Development. He was the strength and conditioning coach in 2013-14 after serving as the assistant in 2012-13. He was named to the SMU staff on June 4, 2012. Lynch, a 12-year NBA veteran and NCAA Champion, played for the Philadelphia 76ers under Brown and helped them to the 2001 NBA Finals.
 
In 2016-17, the Mustangs won The American season and tournament titles en route to the NCAA Tournament and a program-record 30 victories (30-5). SMU went 18-0 at home, 17-1 in the AAC and had winning streaks of 10 games and 16 games in a stretch that saw wins in 26 of 27 outings. The Ponies were ranked in the Associated Press top 25 for the last six weeks of the season, finishing No. 11 in the AP and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Five Mustangs garnered league awards with Semi Ojeleye being named The American Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Ojeleye was also All-AAC First Team, AP All-America Honorable Mention and CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team. Ben Moore, Sterling Brown and Shake Milton made the All-AAC Second Team. Ben Emelogu II was named AAC Co-Sixth Man of the Year. After winning the conference tournament, Moore and Brown were named All-Tournament with Ojeleye selected as the Most Outstanding Player. Moore and Brown were selected to play in the NABC All-Star game at the Final Four in Phoenix.
 
In 2015-16, the Mustangs finished 25-5 with a 16-1 record at Moody Coliseum. SMU was second in the American Athletic Conference at 13-5. The Ponies were No. 24 in the final AP Top 25 after reaching as high as No. 8 during the season. The final poll was the 17th straight week in the AP Top 25. The Mustangs won the Las Vegas Classic en route to a program-best 18-0 start; eventually becoming the last undefeated team in NCAA Division I. SMU led The American in 8 of 21 statistical rankings and ranked in the top 10 of 7 NCAA stat categories. Nic Moore was selected AAC Player of the Year and AP All-America Honorable Mention for the second straight season. He was named All-AAC First Team for the third straight season. Nic Moore was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, a member of the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, on the Naismith Midseason Watch List and on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List. Markus Kennedy was on the Karl Malone Award Watch List and earned his second straight AAC Sixth Man of the Year honor. Shake Milton was a unanimous pick for the AAC All-Rookie team. Ben Moore was named to the NABC All-District Second Team.
 
In 2014-15, SMU claimed the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles en route to reaching the NCAA Tournament. SMU finished the season 27-7 overall. The Mustangs went 15-3 in league play, clinching the outright league title (first since 1993) with a 67-62 win against Tulsa in a sold out Moody Coliseum on March 8. The team followed that by winning the AAC tournament title 62-54 over Connecticut. The Mustangs spent nine weeks in the AP and USA Today Top 25 and set home attendance records for a season (124,986) and average (6,944) while going 16-2 in Moody Coliseum. Nic Moore was named AP All-American Honorable Mention and AAC Player of the Year, Markus Kennedy was AAC Sixth Man of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Championship, and Yanick Moreira was named the AAC’s Most Improved Player.
 
In his second season (2013-14), he helped lead the Mustangs into the national spotlight as SMU earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT and eventually reaching the title game at Madison Square Garden. SMU was in the top 25 in four of the last five regular season polls, being ranked for the first time since 1984-85. The Mustangs led the AAC and finished in the top 20 nationally in field goal percentage (48.3%, 18th NCAA) and field goal percentage defense (38.5%, 7th NCAA).
 
Lynch spent the previous two years (2010-12) at UC-Irvine as strength and conditioning coach for basketball and an assistant athletics director for community relations. His previous collegiate work includes being a manager for SMU basketball during the 2006-07 season.
 
Prior to UC-Irvine, he was the founder and director of Flight Nine Basketball (2006-10), a non-profit youth basketball program in Dallas. He was also personal trainer (2005-09).
 
Lynch averaged 22.8 minutes, 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 774 games during his 12 NBA seasons (1993-2005). He was selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1993 NBA draft and played for four franchises: the Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.
 
At North Carolina, he was a team captain his senior year as he helped the Tar Heels win the 1993 NCAA Championship as he was named to the All-Final Four Tournament team. That year, he was selected All-Atlantic Coast Conference as UNC won the ACC regular season. As a sophomore in 1990-91, Lynch helped UNC win the ACC and reach the NCAA Final Four.
 
Lynch graduated from North Carolina in 1993. He and his wife Julie have three children; Jalen, Mia and Santana.