ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – A national search for the next head coach of Cornell men’s basketball is underway.

Brian Earl has resigned his position after leading the program for eight years.  Earl will be the next head coach at William & Mary College in Virginia. The move comes after Earl guided the Big Red to 22 wins, tied for the second-highest single-season total in school history, with a run-and-gun style that earned the team its first-ever bid into the NIT postseason tournament. The Big Red fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes 83-88 last Tuesday.

“Coach Earl did a fantastic job establishing a winning culture while being a wonderful representative of Cornell University in general and Big Red athletics in particular,” said Director of Athletics & Physical Education Nicki Moore. “I believe him to be one of the top coaches in the country, and we were fortunate to have him shepherd the program the past eight years, including navigating the COVID pandemic.”

Associate head coach Jon Jaques, a 2010 Cornell grad and player on the 2009-2010 squad that reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, will serve in an interim role.