Tony Shaver won 358 games at Hampden-Sydney.

After 17 seasons and two trips to the Final Four, head coach Tony Shaver has resigned at Hampden-Sydney to take the head coaching position at Division I William & Mary.

Shaver, who was a candidate for the position the last time it opened, beat out former D-III head coach Ken Tyler (Albright), now at D-II Shepherd, and current William & Mary assistant and former Curry head coach Pat Skerry, among others. Catholic U. head coach Mike Lonergan withdrew his name from the drawn-out hiring process in late April.

Shaver spoke emotionally at the Hampden-Sydney team banquet Thursday night, May 1, but did not mention his plans publicly, saying “After 17 years ... (long pause) ... this is going to be about the seniors tonight.” The players were informed the following afternoon.

Shaver, 49, takes over a William and Mary squad that finished 12-16 last season, the most wins for the program since finishing 20-7 in 1996.

"This is a great day for me and my family," Shaver said at a Friday afternoon news conference. "William & Mary is the perfect fit for me as a coach and as an educator. I'm very excited about this opportunity to work with true student-athletes."

Hampden-Sydney finished with a 358-121 record during Shaver's tenure, including a 28-4 mark this past season. The Tigers advanced to the Final Four, their first since losing 76-75 in double overtime to UW-Platteville in the 1999 national championship game.

“It is rare for a Division III coach to be able to move directly into a head coaching position at a Division I school,” said athletic director Joe Bush. “This opportunity is a testament to Tony as a coach and to the strength and record of the Hampden-Sydney basketball program over many years.”

Shaver is the first Division III men's head coach to jump directly to a Division I head coaching position since Phil Rowe went from Keene State to New Hampshire following the 1998-99 season. Rowe joined Bo Ryan (UW-Platteville to UW-Milwaukee) and Glen Miller (Connecticut College to Brown) as coaches making the jump that offseason. Ryan has since moved on to UW-Madison.