William & Mary parts ways with long-time head coach Tony Shaver

Tony Shaver, who has been the head coach at William & Mary since 2003, was fired Wednesday. He leaves the Tribe program as the winningest coach in its history, going 226-268 during his 15-year tenure.

Athletic director Samantha K. Huge said in a statement that Shaver “is a teacher, not just a coach, and his impact on hundreds of young men will be felt by them for years to come.”

“However,” she continued, “we have high expectations for our men’s basketball program, including participating in the NCAA Tournament, and we will not shy away from setting the bar high.”

William & Mary is best known for being one of just four original Division I members that has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament. Shaver arguably got the closest, as his Tribe team was CAA Tournament runner-up four times. Specifically in 2014, W&M fell to Delaware by 1-point and were within inches of a game-winner that would have finally sent them to The Dance.

For that precise reason, W&M is going to be a tough gig for whomever comes in next. Some potential candidates include former W&M assistant (and current Pitt assistant) Milan Brown, as well as Virginia associate head coach Jason Williford, a VA-native and former Cavs player.

h/t to Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer for the photo