In his first contest as a Division I head coach, Dan Earl found himself in an awkward situation — back in the Bryce Jordan Center as the opposing team's coach.
It was back in 2015, after being newly announced as the next head men’s basketball coach at the Virginia Military Institute.
Earl previously spent 12 years as a part of the men’s basketball program at Penn State — six as a player and six as an assistant coach.
Until a year ago, Earl had even owned a house in State College.
That moment was a surreal experience for Earl, as he began his head coaching career at VMI in the same place where his own playing career had begun.