CAA Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | May 30, 2020

HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 02: Jamie Skeen #21 and Toby Veal #31 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams react during a timeout against the Butler Bulldogs during the National Semifinal game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Reliant Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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TOWSON, MD – FEBRUARY 28: Head coach Tony Shaver of the William & Mary Tribe (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

7. Tony Shaver – William & Mary (2003-2019)

There was certainly some confusion and frustration when Shaver was fired by the Tribe prior to this past season. There were ups and downs in his sixteen years with William & Mary, but the program was certainly progressing in the right direction. Unfortunately, it’s that familiar level of dissatisfaction that signaled Shaver’s doom.

William & Mary is one of a small list of programs who have never made the NCAA Tournament despite being eligible since the tournament’s inception. Shaver had 16 chances, but couldn’t get the job done. Let’s not be all negative though, Shaver did a great job of building this program into a contender in the CAA. In each of his last six seasons, the Tribe finished in the top 4 of the league, with three straight 20 win seasons sandwiched in there. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.

When you take a look at William & Mary’s history, Shaver moved mountains compared to some of his predecessors and previous eras. He built a fantastic roster in this final seasons but just couldn’t get over the hump in this tight, competitive conference. A 14-17 mark in 2019 was likely the final straw, but again, this doesn’t delegitimize Shaver’s progress.