scoop85
Freshman
Posts: 62
Loc: Goshen, NY
Reg: 02-16-12
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03-23-24 10:28 AM - Post#366206
Cornell AD Nikki Moore sent out an e-mail this morning that Earl is leaving Cornell to take the job at W&M. Seems like a strange move to me, as is the CAA really a step-up over the Ivies right now? And will W&M be a player in the NIL space?
Regardless, it’s a tough loss for Cornell. He’s a terrific coach and resurrected a program at the abyss. I wonder if lead assistant Jon Jaques gets a crack at it, or if Moore will look for someone with head coaching experience.
There is a nice corps returning, so whoever gets the job will be walking into a pretty good situation.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32831
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Earl Leaving for William & Mary
03-23-24 10:47 AM - Post#366210
In response to scoop85
I just commented on this in the Columbia board---W&M has never made the NCAA tournament. And the CAA is several steps down from where it was a few years ago (then the C was Colonial, not Coastal)when it had James Madison and before it brought in lower caliber teams like Stony Brook, Hampton, Monmouth and Campbell. --
Manon has another year of eligibility---Earl conceivably could convince almost his entire team to go with him and get them paid.
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scoop85
Freshman
Posts: 62
Loc: Goshen, NY
Reg: 02-16-12
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Re: Earl Leaving for William & Mary
03-23-24 11:09 AM - Post#366215
In response to palestra38
That’s an interesting point. If Earl convinces Manon, Gray, and Hansen to join him at W&M that would be an interesting dynamic. But that seems like a long shot unless W&M has a particular master’s program that suits all of their needs.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1890
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-23-24 11:44 AM - Post#366218
In response to scoop85
Head scratcher but then again I never understood Sydney Johnson’s move to Fairfield. I assume Brian will work the portal hard and try to turn W&M around quickly. He will cause headaches for the CAA.
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scoop85
Freshman
Posts: 62
Loc: Goshen, NY
Reg: 02-16-12
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Re: Earl Leaving for William & Mary
03-23-24 11:56 AM - Post#366219
In response to scoop85
Cornell AD Nikki Moore sent out an e-mail this morning that Earl is leaving Cornell to take the job at W&M. Seems like a strange move to me, as is the CAA really a step-up over the Ivies right now? And will W&M be a player in the NIL space?
Regardless, it’s a tough loss for Cornell. He’s a terrific coach and resurrected a program at the abyss. I wonder if lead assistant Jon Jaques gets a crack at it, or if Moore will look for someone with head coaching experience.
There is a nice core returning, so whoever gets the job will be walking into a pretty good situation.
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rbg
Postdoc
Posts: 3054
Reg: 10-20-14
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Earl Leaving for William & Mary
03-23-24 12:09 PM - Post#366221
In response to scoop85
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2024/3/23/mens-b ask...
Earl has done an amazing job at Cornell and deserves to go to a school where he can make more money and have a better shot at getting to the NCAA Tournament.
Each year I expect his name to come up in the coaching carousel, but it doesn't. I'm kind of surprised that he chose W&M and did it so quickly.
At first, I thought maybe he would go down to Virginia to be closer to his brother, but Dan has moved on from VMI and has been at Chattanooga for the last few years.
The CAA is an odd conference that keeps trying to reinvent itself. It's also another 1-bid league.
(With JMU gone and Delaware soon to depart, the CAA will be Drexel, Northeastern, Stony Brook, Hofstra, Monmouth, Towson, Elon, Campbell, NC A&T, Hampton, UNCW, W&M & College of Charleston)
It's hard to think that W&M is going all-in on being a big-time basketball program.
From an Ivy League perspective, I wonder if he had any thoughts about Princeton (deciding that Mitch is staying, or Brett would take over) or Penn (deciding that Steve is staying or it's not worth it). Also, maybe he also saw the added difficulty of coaching in the IL in this new NIL/transfer portal reality and decided he's got to get before things get worse.
Edited by rbg on 03-23-24 12:11 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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rbg
Postdoc
Posts: 3054
Reg: 10-20-14
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03-23-24 12:19 PM - Post#366222
In response to rbg
Nicki Moore now has two basketball coaches to replace this offseason. Lots of pressure on the new AD.
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mountainred
Masters Student
Posts: 514
Age: 57
Loc: Charleston, WV
Reg: 04-11-10
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03-23-24 12:25 PM - Post#366225
In response to rbg
Stunning. Not that he left -- I never thought Earl was an Ithaca lifer -- but Wm & Mary is an odd choice for the reasons listed here.
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3669
Reg: 02-06-10
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Earl Leaving for William & Mary
03-23-24 12:29 PM - Post#366226
In response to mountainred
It was a natural time to leave - Cornell's best season since 2010, but probably taking a step back next year
As with Sydney Johnson leaving for Fairfield back in 2011, I assume it has a lot to do with salary. Brian is 47, has a family, never had a big payday. If W&M offered to double his salary... well, you can't really say no to that. Put away a nest egg for your wife and children.
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mountainred
Masters Student
Posts: 514
Age: 57
Loc: Charleston, WV
Reg: 04-11-10
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03-23-24 12:34 PM - Post#366229
In response to gokinsmen
This is a good time to leave, assuming there is such an animal, I was just expecting it to be a more clear step up. I have several law partners who are W&M grads and none of them follow their alma mater in any sport.
Earl is a great coach, and I wish him nothing but success, but ouch.
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3669
Reg: 02-06-10
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Earl Leaving for William & Mary
03-23-24 12:43 PM - Post#366230
In response to mountainred
If he had won the ILT (and a game in the NCAAs), I'm sure the bigger offers would have rolled in. That national spotlight is everything. Mitch's profile skyrocketed after last year.
That said, the CAA is still a solid midmajor conference and I imagine W&M will give Earl a lot of freedom to build the program he wants.
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Ever True
Junior
Posts: 255
Age: 28
Reg: 02-02-15
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03-23-24 01:15 PM - Post#366236
In response to gokinsmen
I don't disagree with any of you, re: W & M being an interesting choice, as far as next steps are concerned.
If I try to take my Ivy League glasses off, this is what I see.
- A bump in salary
- Better facilities - including a recent renovation to the arena and new practice facility: https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2020/wm- announces-...
- Better recruiting situation - closer to DMV hotbed and no longer directly competing with Yale/Princeton for Ivy-profile recruits
- Good showcase job - still in a high academic situation, where he can continue to audition for Princeton job, but in the backyard of Power 5 programs who might consider him if he succeeds
Not the gospel truth, just my perspective.
A loss for the league, for sure - what he's done at Cornell over the past three years has been incredible, and fun to watch as a non-HYP fan.
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FlareScreen
Freshman
Posts: 44
Age: 54
Reg: 08-09-19
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03-23-24 02:51 PM - Post#366245
In response to Ever True
Earl was a great coach at Cornell and I see this as a perfect time for him to leave. In the past couple of years, it has been grad transfers who leave but that is likely to change with the NIL money. I would not be surprised to start seeing freshmen leaving after a good season which would have been unheard of 5 years ago. I think that W&M and the Ivies are roughly comparable. So let's say a talented player with the grades is choosing between Cornell and W&M. I love Cornell but full scholarship+Alston+NIL. First-class travel and perks and a nice bank account at graduation. Seems like an easy decision to me if I was a player. Best of luck to Brian, he changed Cornell basketball and I will be rooting for him.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1890
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-23-24 03:18 PM - Post#366248
In response to FlareScreen
Maybe I’m naive but don’t you think these kids want to win basketball games and play in March Madness? William & Mary is a great school but they won 10 games this year and their KenPom rating is 319. I’m sure Brian will raise the bar but that program has a long way to go.
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mountainred
Masters Student
Posts: 514
Age: 57
Loc: Charleston, WV
Reg: 04-11-10
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03-23-24 04:54 PM - Post#366255
In response to TigerFan
Maybe I’m naive but don’t you think these kids want to win basketball games and play in March Madness? William & Mary is a great school but they won 10 games this year and their KenPom rating is 319. I’m sure Brian will raise the bar but that program has a long way to go.
W&M was KenPom 87 as recently 2016, so this isn't Chicago St. we're talking about it.
If whittak is correct, and I have no reason to doubt that, W&M has more than double the hoops budget, some of which has to be the coach's salary. And Earl gets to coach the main winter sport instead of the one that better not interfere with hockey. Or wrestling (though that has to be less of a concern post-Andy).
On the flip side, this has to have been quick decision for W&M. Terrific coach who knows how to succeed at an academic school, yes please.
It was nice while it lasted, but I knew it wasn't going to last forever. Now, does anyone follow or use this as an excuse to move on?
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4911
Reg: 02-04-06
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03-23-24 08:32 PM - Post#366284
In response to mountainred
This seems like a calculated risk for Earl. Much higher salary, but no security as he has at Cornell. Another one-bid league, a team with no heritage, a weak fan base, and likely no NIL potential. I wish him the best of luck, and he’s going to need it. This seems a worse job than when Sydney left for Fairfield.
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jeromelh
Junior
Posts: 215
Age: 81
Reg: 03-30-17
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03-24-24 03:31 PM - Post#366314
In response to SRP
As to a rationale for this move, let me propose this.
Earl is just not going to get a major college coaching job from Cornell. However, if he can do at W & M what he did at Cornell he may get a major college look.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32831
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-24-24 04:40 PM - Post#366317
In response to jeromelh
Yes, but the CAA is a really weak conference now. And William and Mary was next to last in a conference with Stony Brook, Hampton, Campbell, Monmouth and a lot of former America East and Northeast Conference teams. And William and Mary has the largest endowment in the League, at $1.2 billion, 1/6 of the smallest Ivy endowment and about 10% of Cornell's.
I think he could have gotten a job in the A-10 or equivalent, which would have been a much better feeder to Big Time than CAA. I think this is all about the financial offer, as was Sydney Johnson's
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final479
Freshman
Posts: 49
Reg: 01-19-08
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03-28-24 05:58 AM - Post#366627
In response to palestra38
Agree with a lot of the other comments. I would think the comp is much higher, and that in and of itself may have been enough motivation. He was an assistant for a long time, where comp is a pittance, and I suspect the Cornell contract was likely not overwhelming. Also, on the assumption he has ambition to move up the coaching ranks he needed to move on from Cornell at 47. He was not going to get a major job from Cornell, if he does well at W&M he might ...
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2275
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-28-24 10:39 AM - Post#366632
In response to final479
He was an assistant for a long time, where comp is a pittance, and I suspect the Cornell contract was likely not overwhelming.
I think this hits the nail on the head. And then factor in the impending impact of NIL, and perhaps a sharp decline in the ability to recruit in the Ivy League. At least he will have athletic scholarships to offer, and a very high quality education as well.
And better climate 
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