Former Penn State men’s basketball star Dan Earl earned a new gig over the weekend as the head coach of Chattanoga’s program.

On Thursday, Chattanooga athletic director Mark Wharton made Earl’s hiring official.

Rumor mill was right. Now it's officially, official.

Welcome to Chattanooga, Coach Earl! Can't wait to get going.

https://t.co/BaJS0rVSzI#GoMocs x @Coach_DanEarl pic.twitter.com/2L4fzSrAGP

— Chattanooga Basketball (@GoMocsMBB) March 31, 2022

“After looking at many great candidates interested in our men’s basketball head coaching position, Dan Earl out among an impressive group,” Wharton said in a statement. “We conducted a thorough search process, but it was quickly clear that Dan was the best person to lead our program. He is extremely well-respected among his peers and comes with years of head coaching experience at our level.”

Earl, who will be the 22nd head coach in program history, spent the previous seven seasons leading Virginia Military Institute. Under his watch, the Keydets finished this past season with an even 16-16 record.

During his time at Penn State in the 90s, Earl averaged just over 10 points a game while shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc. In the 1995-96 season that saw the Nittany Lions win 21 games and make the NCAA Tournament, Earl led the Big Ten with 53 steals. The New Jersey native capped off his illustrious career in Happy Valley by finishing with the second-most assists in school history (574).

Following his playing days, Earl joined the Nittany Lions as an assistant coach in 2006 and helped lead Penn State to an NIT title in 2009. He remained with the team until 2011 and even earned his master’s degree in the process.

Chattanooga earned a No. 13 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament after finishing with a 27-8 record. The Mocs lost 54-53 to Illinois in the first round of the tournament.