Cornell’s Earl takes Tribe job
His teams have been known for fast pace, lots of 3-point shots
The three Princeton teams Brian Earl played for in the NCAA Tournament in the 1990s were, to say the least, deliberate. Earl doesn’t mind using the word slow.
For those who think he’ll bring that pace with him to his new position as William & Mary’s men’s basketball coach, think again. Earl’s teams at Cornell University the past seven seasons played fast and shot lots of 3-pointers.
Cornell led the Ivy League this season in points at 82.1 per game (17th nationally in Division I) and were virtually tied for first in made 3-pointers with 10.3 per contest. They were good, too, finishing 22-8 with an 88-83 first-round loss at Ohio State on Monday in the NIT after leading the Buckeyes in the final 45 seconds.
W&M announced Earl’s hire as its 32nd men’s basketball coach on Saturday morning. Earl, 47, replaces Dane Fischer, who was fired recently after five seasons, in the past four of which the Tribe went 35-80.
“I am extremely honored to be joining the William & Mary family,” Earl said. “My entire coaching career has been spent working at high-academic institutions with exceptional student-athletes, and I found that combination again here in Williamsburg.
“My family and I look forward to immersing ourselves in the university and the community with the goal of building a basketball program that students, faculty, fans and alumni will be proud of.”
Tribe Director of Athletics Brian Mann said, “Our applicant pool for this position was outstanding and Brian Earl’s background of successfully playing and coaching at top academic institutions vaulted him to the top of our list.
“His teams have been extremely well-coached and competitive in the Ivy League and beyond. Brian is incredibly excited about our program and the opportunities for
winning here, and we are delighted he will be leading the Tribe toward achieving the goals we have set for the program.”
Earl comes from a family steeped in basketball tradition.
His father, Denny Earl, played in the 1960s at Rutgers with legendary late North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano. His brother, Dan Earl, is the coach at Chattanooga and a former coach at VMI.
Earl is one of the greatest players in Princeton University history. Part of the Tigers’ No. 13 seed that upset defending national champion UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament, Earl rose to stardom the following three seasons.
His 113 games started and 281 made 3-pointers are Princeton school records and were Ivy League records for more than a decade after his graduation. He was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 1999 as a senior.
After graduating with a degree in economics from Princeton, Earl played professionally for several years, including stints in Germany and England. He returned to Princeton and was an assistant coach for nine years before landing the head coaching job at Cornell in 2016.
His overall record with Cornell was 96-103, but his past three teams finished above .500 and were 54-29 overall. Earl was named the 2022 Ivy League Coach of the Year.
In an interview with Ivy Hoops Online in January, Earl said that he likes to play lots of guys, play fast and press. He added that he recruits players who don’t mind sacrificing points and minutes for the greater good.
Although his Cornell team
this season played at breakneck speed and shot the 3 often, it did not sacrifice shooting accuracy. The Big Red made 48.75% of their shots, 16th nationally, and were second in 2-point shooting at 61.7%.
Earl and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons: Dylan, Owen and Cooper.