NCAA Basketball: Top 1st-year head coaching performances so far in 2019-20
By Erik Mauro
4. Dane Fischer – William & Mary
The Tribe let their winningest coach of all-time go in Tony Shaver, who led William & Mary to 226 wins over 17 seasons, despite having a losing record. Dane Fischer was hired as the replacement, and he has already led the Tribe to more wins this year than Shaver’s last season. They are 15-6 and 7-1 in conference play, first place in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Tribe own wins over last season’s Southern champions Wofford, as well as conference wins over last season’s conference tournament winner and regular season champions, Northeastern and Hofstra respectively.
Fischer was an assistant coach at George Mason for four years before taking the job at William & Mary. He has never been a head coach at any level or an assistant at any power conference schools. The Tribe may have found a diamond in the rough in the coaching circles.
Nathan Knight is averaging 20.6 PPG, and Andy Van Vliet is averaging 14 more to pace W&M. Knight is averaging 10.6 rebounds a game to give him a double-double average for the season. Knight may be the best mid-major big man in the nation which certainly helps Fischer in year one.
The Colonial is usually a one-bid league, and nobody is set up better in this conference than William & Mary moving forward. Knight is also a senior, so you know he wants to lead his team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.
Fischer can coach and he’s utilizing his players to their strengths. If he keeps doing that, then this team should have no trouble having a strong finish to the season. Shaver won the regular season title in 2015, but Fischer and this year’s Tribe are looking to take that next step, and there is no time like the present.