Yahoo Autos 10 head coaching candidates for Penn State men’s basketball
Micah Shrewsberry has taken the rocket jet attached to his back to Notre Dame despite Penn State doing its best to match the offer.
After taking the Penn State job in 2020, Shrewsberry turned the program around quickly by utilizing the transfer portal to obtain senior leadership. All of that turned into the program’s first NCAA tournament win in over 20 years and now a head coach job at Notre Dame.
Turning the page for Penn State is the next step. It looks to reassemble the program and find a coach who can take advantage of the momentum it has. This should be a fun job for someone looking to move from another Power Five school seeking a breath of fresh air or a coach at a lower school who is riding a wave of momentum of his own.
Here are 10 names Penn State fans should get to know as their head coaching search gets underway.
Adam Fisher, Assistant Coach for Penn State
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In a move that would be the most seamless, [autotag]Adam Fisher[/autotag] was a part of Micah Shrewsberry’s staff and already received a vote of endorsement from [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag]. The move could keep the system already in place as well as any momentum the staff has established.
Dusty May, Head Coach of FAU
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Having attended Indiana, he is no stranger to Big Ten basketball and the passion behind it. May is riding a major momentum wave of his own: His Florida Atlantic Owls are set to face Tennessee in the Sweet 16 after securing two upsets in this year’s tournament.
Matt Langel, Head Coach of Colgate
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While Colgate lost in the first round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, it had major success this year and in years prior. He has been at Colgate since 2011. Before that, he coached at Temple and his alma mater, Penn. He is familiar with the state and has recruiting ability in the state.
Martin Ingelsby, Head Coach of Delaware
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Coincidentally, Ingelsby is a former Notre Dame assistant who has led the Blue Hens to the NCAA Tournament since taking over in 2016. He is from the state as well and has ties to top transfer portal target Jameer Nelson Jr., who would be a major addition to the Nittany Lions, and allow him to get a jumpstart on his tenure in State College if he could deliver.
Greg McDermott, Head Coach of Creighton
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Greg McDermott has built Creighton into a very well-respected program and a yearly bracket buster by being able to play up to stiffer competition. That would be a perfect fit for Penn State within the Big Ten. His previous work at Iowa State backed up by his Creighton tenure should make him a top candidate.
Sam Cassell, Assistant Coach for Philadelphia 76ers
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This is the biggest shot-in-the-dark candidate that honestly will not work out but could be a fun hire. Sam Cassell has been interviewed by NBA teams for head coaching spots for years but never hired. He is well worth giving a shot to in the NBA, but if those teams will not give him one why shouldn’t Penn State call him up with a chance to prove himself in college before making a jump back into the league?
Thad Matta, Head Coach of Butler
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Having previously coached in the Big Ten and achieving major success at Ohio State. Matta has gone back to his alma mater of Butler, so getting him to leave may be tough. But wouldn’t it be fun to have a previous Ohio State coach sit on a Nittany Lion sideline?
Mitch Henderson, Head Coach of Princeton
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Another coach already at his alma mater, Mitch Henderson has shown he can build a program at the Ivy League level. His team plays tough defense and has shown it can play up to the stiffer competition as it upset both Arizona and Missouri. Princeton is in this year’s Sweet Sixteen.
Bryce Drew, Head Coach of Grand Canyon
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Penn State has had success hiring former Vanderbilt coaches right? Drew has been at both Vanderbilt and Valparaiso prior to his tenure at Grand Canyon. He has produced conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths in two of his three years on its bench.
Luke Walton, Assistant Coach on Cleveland Cavaliers
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Luke Walton is the son of famed college basketball announced Bill Walton who was an okay college and pro basketball player as well. Luke Walton wasn’t the player his dad was but he has proven to be a much better coach. He has two head coaching stints in the NBA previously and he is currently on the Cleveland Cavaliers staff waiting for his next head coaching opportunity.
