Ex-Penn State basketball standout Dan Earl makes VMI debut against Nittany Lions

Dan Earl was often busy with his duties as the associate head coach at Navy the last four basketball seasons.

But when he didn’t have a game to coach or scouting to do or game film to break down, he’d tune in to watch Penn State.

Sometimes, he’d text with former teammates about the games. And sometimes, they’d text about old times in the locker room during their playing days for the Nittany Lions.

The memories shared with his teammates are what Earl cherishes more than anything from his time at Penn State, where he enjoyed a standout playing career and where he got his start in coaching. Earl played for the Nittany Lions from 1993-99 and served as an assistant coach from 2006-11 before spending the last four years at Navy.

Earl was then hired as the head coach at Virginia Military Institute in April, and he’ll make his debut when the Keydets take on Penn State in the season opener for both teams at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center.

“I root for them all the time, although I will not be rooting for them at 1 o’clock on Saturday,” Earl said.

Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said the teams scheduled the game as soon as Earl got the job. Chambers said he and Earl have known each other for years, playing together and against each other and going to the beach in New Jersey together. Chambers also said he is close with Earl’s brother, Brian, who played at Princeton and is currently an assistant coach for the Tigers.

“It’s kind of a crazy circle this fraternity that we’re in, and then when I got the job here, him and I sat for days, discussing what the next move would be for both of us,” said Chambers, who took over at Penn State in 2011. “So he’s a great guy, great coach. I’m excited for him. We’re gonna honor him before the game and he deserves it.”

Earl endured injury troubles at Penn State during a career that lasted six years.

He finished his career second in program history with 574 assists — a total surpassed by Tim Frazier, who Earl recruited to Penn State.

In 1996, Earl helped Penn State make the NCAA tournament, where the Nittany Lions fell to Arkansas in the first round. He fondly remembers Penn State’s upset of No. 7 Purdue and Glenn Robinson in 1994, too.

“I loved my time at Penn State as a student,” Earl said. “I really enjoyed it as a basketball player as well. I’m still in basketball, so you think about certain games here or there that you coulda’ won or shoulda’ won.”

After his Penn State career, Earl played overseas, in the Continental Basketball Association and in the NBA Development League.

“My ultimate goal initially was always to play ball as long as I could,” Earl said. “And I had injuries that forced me to stop playing, if you will, which might have been good because I’d still be trying to play if I could at age 40 if I wasn’t injured. So I’m kind of wired differently.”

When he was done playing, he knew he wanted to coach or start a career in business.

He started attending college practices of programs that had recruited him or played against him.

Earl observed practices run, at the time, by Temple coach John Chaney, St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli, Penn coach Fran Dunphy and Villanova coach Jay Wright in addition to visiting Penn State and Princeton.

It gave him a chance to see how college practices were structured and to get insight from different coaches.

“Before or after, most of them were gracious and nice enough to spend some time with me and talk and this and that,” Earl said. “So whether it was seeing drills or seeing how much they interact with their teams and seeing how much the head coach does at one place versus allowing his assistants to do stuff.”

Earl got his start at Penn State under Ed DeChellis.

The Nittany Lions won an NIT Championship in 2009 and went to the NCAA tournament in 2011 before DeChellis left for Navy.

Earl joined him there and started to consider going for jobs as a head coach.

“In the last few years, I’ve felt like I’ve been ready or close to ready or as ready as you’re going to be, so you look around here and there,” Earl said. “But I think it’s all about fit as well.”

Earl found a fit at VMI.

And he’ll make his debut in a familiar place in front of some familiar faces Saturday.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 11:09 PM with the headline "Ex-Penn State basketball standout Dan Earl makes VMI debut against Nittany Lions."