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William & Mary Basketball: Tony Shaver fired after 16 years as head coach

By Joey Loose

DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Tony Shaver of the William & Mary Tribe directs his team during the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 23, 2016 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Tony Shaver of the William & Mary Tribe directs his team during the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 23, 2016 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Let’s look at the coaching career of Tony Shaver while also examining what William & Mary Basketball will look for in their next head coach.

After sixteen years leading the Tribe, Tony Shaver has been fired by William & Mary Basketball. The move came as a bit of a shocker to many, though Shaver couldn’t get this program into the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. He came in at 221st on our early season head coach rankings and his lack of postseason success with the Tribe has certainly hampered his career.

Shaver played college ball at North Carolina under the legendary Dean Smith and began his coaching career upon graduation. He spent ten years coaching high school ball in Alexandria, Virginia before being hired as head coach at D-3 Hampden-Sydney. After a 358-121 17-year run at the school, William & Mary hired Shaver back in 2003. He inherited a Tribe program with a complete lack of success, but his sixteen years were full of ups and downs.

To this day, the Tribe is one of four original D-1 programs that have never played in the NCAA Tournament. That lack of a Tourney appearance is likely what ultimately cost Shaver his job. Four times his team lost in the CAA Tournament final and made just two NIT appearances in his 16 years. The Tribe went 96-62 from 2013-18, though they slipped to a 14-17 finish this past season. The team was fourth place or higher in the CAA each of his last six seasons.

Shaver’s most recent team won their final five regular season games after a slow start to the season. Most of the talent on this team could return for another year, as they lose less than 6 ppg to graduation. Junior forward Nathan Knight (21.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg) has been the key cog in the offense this season. Junior guards Justin Pierce (14.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 4.1 apg) and Matt Milon (13.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) are also great pieces for the next head coach. This team really struggled on the defensive end and it may take a full recruiting cycle to rebuild that defense.

Shaver was a successful D-3 head coach when William & Mary gave him the job in 2003 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Tribe do something similar. I’d be surprised to see them hire a retread, though there are certainly some interesting names available with head coaching experience. If the Tribe can nail this hire, then this team can win a CAA title in the coming years.

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There’s no denying that it was a disappointment that Shaver couldn’t lead this team to the NCAA Tournament. However, his tenure has had success and he’s had this program on the brink of a breakthrough. He turned the Tribe into a regular contender in the CAA and it’s only a matter of time before that said breakthrough. I’m not sure who the next head coach will be at William & Mary but he’ll have quite the act to follow. Even without that fleeting NCAA Tournament, Shaver’s 226 wins at the school are twice more than any other coach and his legacy will not be forgotten.