FAIRFAX, Va. – Former George Mason University men's basketball assistant Dane Fischer has been named the new head coach at William & Mary, the school announced on Tuesday.
 
"I am absolutely thrilled for Dane and for William and Mary," George Mason head coach Dave Paulsen said. "I cannot imagine a better fit between person, coach, and institution. He has been influential in every decision made within our program over the past 11 years. His basketball acumen is unparalleled. He is a gifted teacher of the game, and an outstanding strategist."
 
Fischer has been instrumental in Mason's rise within the Atlantic 10 during his four-year tenure in Fairfax. He's helped the Patriots set or match new program records for A-10 wins in three consecutive seasons, including 11 in 2018-19. He has worked tirelessly to help Mason players maximize their skill sets and has mentored the Atlantic 10's Most Improved Player in two of the past three seasons (Marquise Moore in 2016-17 and Justin Kier in 2018-19).
 
"Dane has been an incredibly effective recruiter, able to identify outstanding prospects and establish a rapport with them," Paulsen said. "Most important, Dane is an outstanding person of high character who will immediately become part of the fabric at William and Mary. We will miss him a great deal here but are so excited for Dane and his family."