Tony Shaver spent 16 seasons as the head coach at William & Mary and is the program’s all-time winningest coach with 226 victories. He was a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year and was twice selected as a finalist for the National Mid-Major Coach of the Year. The Tribe has posted four of its nine 20-win seasons under Shaver.
W&M notched three-straight 20-win seasons in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, marking just the second streak of three years in program history. The Green and Gold captured the CAA regular season Championship in 2015. Twice, Shaver led the program to berths in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), only the second and third post season bids in program history.
In his 33 years as a collegiate head coach, his teams have won 20 or more games during 16 seasons and advanced to the post season on 13 occasions. Shaver owns 584 victories during his coaching career. He became the 86th Division I head coach to win 500 games in 2014. His career win total ranks 63rd all-time among head coach with at least 10 years of Division I experience.
Under Shaver, the Tribe peaked at the right time of year during the conference tournament. Prior to his arrival in 2004, W&M had just two CAA Tournament wins in 18 years as a member of the league. During Shaver’s 16 seasons, the Tribe won 14 CAA Tournament contests and made the program’s first four championship game appearances.
A total of 25 players have garnered All-CAA honors under Shaver, including six first team picks. The Tribe had produced multiple All-CAA picks each of his final seven seasons. Another 10 players have been named to the CAA All-Rookie Team and his players have four CAA All-Defensive Team accolades. Shaver-coached players took home two CAA Rookies of the Year, two CAA Defensive Players of the Year and a CAA Player of the Year. He has coached 13 NABC All-District selections.
A total of 20 of Shaver’s former Tribe athletes went on to professional careers overseas. Four W&M players have been selected in the NBA G-League (formally Development League) draft, and another, Marcus Thornton, was a second round NBA Draft selection. Six former Tribe standouts (Alex Smith, Danny Sumner, Quinn McDowell, Daniel Dixon, Connor Burchfield and Thornton) played in the NBA G-League
Along with its success on the court, Tribe players did their work in the classroom as well under Shaver. Six times under Shaver a Tribe player was named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. On six occasions, a W&M student-athlete received the CAA’s prestigious Dean Ehlers Leadership Award, which is given to the student-athlete who “embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic athletic achievement.” Quinn McDowell became the first-ever two-time winner of the honor in 2011 and 2012. He was also the first CAA men’s basketball student-athlete to be named one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award on his way to Lowe’s Senior CLASS Second-Team All-America honors in 2012.
The men’s basketball program earned five NCAA Public Recognition (2013-17) for its perfect four-year Academic Progress Rate of 1,000, ranking among the top 10 percent nationally. The Tribe produced six straight years of perfect 1,000 APR scores (2012-17).
Shaver is a member of three Halls of Fame, including each of his previous coaching stops. In October of 2016, he was inducted into the High Point Central Sports Hall of Fame. A standout in football, basketball, golf and baseball for the Bison, Shaver was a multi-time all-conference selection in both football and basketball and quarterbacked the football team to the state finals in 1971. He was inducted into the Episcopal High School Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Hampden-Sydney College Hall of Fame in 2004 as the winningest coach at each place. Shaver led Episcopal for 10 seasons from 1976-86.
Shaver was named the head coach of the Tribe on May 2, 2003. He came to W&M after coaching 17 seasons at Hampden-Sydney, compiling a record of 358-121 (.747). He turned the Tigers into a Division III national powerhouse, leading H-SC to eight Old Dominion Athletic Conference titles, 12 20-win seasons and 11 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. The winningest basketball coach in the program’s history, he was named the ODAC and South Region Coach of the Year in 1995, 1999 and 2000, and was picked as the Virginia Sports Information Directors Division II-III Coach of the Year in 1997, 1999 and 2000.
In 2003, Shaver took the Tigers to the NCAA Division III Final Four, as his team finished with a record of 28-4. In 1999, Shaver led H-SC to the national championship game, where the Tigers lost by one point in double-overtime to Wisconsin-Platteville. The team finished 29-3, setting a school record for most wins in a season.
Shaver first led the Tigers to the national postseason in 1988-89, just his third season as the team’s head coach. That year, H-SC won the ODAC championship, ending the season with a 21-8 record.
Prior to taking over at Hampden-Sydney for the 1986-87 campaign, Shaver spent 10 years as the head boys’ basketball coach at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He was named the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association State Coach of the Year in 1986, and was twice picked as the Alexandria Coach of the Year, while winning 73 percent of his games.
A 1976 graduate of North Carolina, Shaver was a guard on the Tar Heel program from 1972-75 under head coach Dean Smith. Originally a walk-on, he earned a scholarship his rookie season, when he was awarded the prestigious Butch Bennett Award, presented to the freshman who exemplifies determination, sportsmanship and sacrifice for the team. Shaver was voted the honoree by his teammates. During his four years in Chapel Hill, UNC went 95-26, including a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1975 and 1976. During the 1975 season, the Tar Heels won the ACC Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16. During the 1973 and 1974 season, UNC made the National Invitational Tournament.
Shaver's Career Record
at WILLIAM & MARY |
Year |
Overall Record |
Pct. |
CAA Record |
Pct. |
Post Season |
2018-19 |
14-17 |
.452 |
10-8 |
.556 |
|
2017-18 |
19-12 |
.613 |
11-7 |
.611 |
|
2016-17 |
17-14 |
.548 |
10-8 |
.556 |
|
2015-16 |
20-11 |
.645 |
11-7 |
.611 |
|
2014-15 |
20-13 |
.606 |
12-6 |
.667 |
CAA Finalist
NIT First Round |
2013-14 |
20-12 |
.625 |
10-6 |
.625 |
CAA Finalist |
2012-13 |
13-17 |
.433 |
7-11 |
.389 |
|
2011-12 |
6-26 |
.188 |
4-14 |
.222 |
|
2010-11 |
10-22 |
.313 |
4-14 |
.222 |
|
2009-10 |
22-11 |
.667 |
12-6 |
.667 |
CAA Finalist
NIT First Round |
2008-09 |
10-20 |
.333 |
5-13 |
.278 |
|
2007-08 |
17-16 |
.515 |
10-8 |
.556 |
CAA Finalist |
2006-07 |
15-15 |
.500 |
8-10 |
.444 |
|
2005-06 |
8-20 |
.286 |
3-15 |
.167 |
|
2004-05 |
8-21 |
.276 |
3-15 |
.167 |
|
2003-04 |
7-21 |
.250 |
4-14 |
.222 |
|
W&M Totals |
226-268 |
.457 |
124-162 |
.434 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
at HAMPDEN-SYDNEY |
2002-03 |
28-4 |
.875 |
17-1 |
.944 |
NCAA DIII Final Four |
2001-02 |
23-6 |
.793 |
13-5 |
.722 |
NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance
ODAC Champions |
2000-01 |
24-5 |
.828 |
14-4 |
.778 |
NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance
ODAC Champions |
1999-00 |
26-2 |
.929 |
18-0 |
1.000 |
NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance |
1998-99 |
29-3 |
.906 |
16-2 |
.889 |
NCAA DIII National Runner-up
ODAC Champions |
1997-98 |
23-6 |
.793 |
13-5 |
.722 |
NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance
ODAC Champions |
1996-97 |
21-7 |
.750 |
12-6 |
.667 |
NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance
ODAC Champions |
1995-96 |
17-9 |
.654 |
11-7 |
.611 |
|
1994-95 |
28-3 |
.903 |
17-1 |
.944 |
NCAA DIII Elite Eight
ODAC Champions |
1993-94 |
22-6 |
.786 |
15-3 |
.833 |
NCAA DIII Sweet 16 |
1992-93 |
12-13 |
.480 |
8-10 |
.444 |
|
1991-92 |
24-6 |
.800 |
14-4 |
.778 |
NCAA DIII Sweet 16
ODAC Champions |
1990-91 |
21-6 |
.778 |
12-4 |
.750 |
|
1989-90 |
15-11 |
.577 |
9-7 |
.563 |
|
1988-89 |
21-8 |
.724 |
7-5 |
.583 |
NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance
ODAC Champions |
1987-88 |
12-13 |
.480 |
5-9 |
.357 |
|
1986-87 |
12-13 |
.480 |
6-8 |
.429 |
|
HSC Totals |
358-121 |
.747 |
207-81 |
.719 |
11 NCAA Appearances
8 ODAC Championships |
Career |
584-389 |
.600 |
331-244 |
.576 |
|