As the 2020-2021 season comes to a close, we turn the page to look at who will man the sidelines next year for Penn State Basketball.
Whoever the coach is will be immediately swimming upstream.
Four-star Tauqan Woodley (now signed with South Carolina), three-star Houston Mallette (now singed with Pepperdine) and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (uncommitted) all decommitted within three weeks of Penn State firing Pat Chambers for using inappropriate language with a student athlete (although Creighton’s Greg McDermott did the same and is still coaching).
While junior college players or transfers are still a possibility, zero signed recruits is a GLARING hole within the Penn State Basketball program. Penn State has five seniors who could use the extra year of NCAA eligibility (three who get regular minutes in John Harrar, Jamari Wheeler and Trent Buttrick).
The Nittany Lions‘ new coach could also “recruit” them to come back to fill out the roster, too. And the new coach must also “re-recruit” players like Myreon Jones and Seth Lundy, who could easily transfer penalty free.
Penn State is notoriously cheap when it comes to paying basketball coaches … Pat Chambers was the lowest paid coach in the conference, and certainly Jim Ferry was as well this year.
So, what does the Penn State Basketball Head Coach position offer?
Well, thanks to the Big Ten Network, every game will be televised. The team plays in by far the best conference in the nation. And, Penn State has the almost mythical “Philadelphia pipeline” that Pat Chambers was able to crack into but no one else really has.
Here are some potential coaches for Penn State Basketball to target, broken down into four categories:
a. Reach Coaches
b. “Meh” Coaches
c. Penn State tie Coaches
d. Wildcard Coaches
Reach candidates
John Beilein
The former Michigan Wolverines head coach has great experience coaching in the B1G Conference, having led UM to a National Championship game appearance. Beilen also made deep NCAA Tournament runs coaching West Virginia, and most recently, he coached in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He announced a few Penn State games this year on the Big Ten Network. Maybe he liked what he saw? His last game coaching in the Bryce Jordan Center was his only ejection as the Wolverines coach.
Glaring issue: He’ll command a WAY higher salary than AD Sandy Barbour would likely pay.
Thad Matta
From a former Wolverine head coach to a former Buckeye coach … Sure, these rivals aren’t our favorite schools, but no one can question their track record. In Columbus, Matta also led the Buckeyes to a National Championship game appearance along with another Final Four, one Elite Eight, and two more Sweet Sixteens. In that same time span, Penn State Basketball made one NCAA Tournament.
Glaring issue: It’s rumored that Penn State already reached out to him, and he was not interested.
Archie Miller or Chris Collins
Both Miller (Indiana), and Collins (Northwestern), currently have jobs. So why are they listed here? Northwestern, while ranked just nine short weeks ago, has cratered again, and are in the B1G basement. Miller has faced strong pressure to make the NCAA Tournament in basketball crazy Indiana, and right now is sitting again on the wrong side of the bubble. It’s not impossible that either program decides to move on and maybe Miller or Collins don’t want to take a year off from coaching. What better place to get revenge on your former school for firing you than taking a job with a team in the same conference!
Glaring issue: Miller’s contract runs through 2024 and has an eight-figure buyout; Collins’ contract runs through 2025 and has a rumored $3 million buyout.
Mike Brey
Brey is the Head Coach at Notre Dame for over two decades and has made the NCAA Tournament twelve times. Counting the NIT, and not counting last year’s COVID-19 shortened year against him, the Fighting Irish have only missed the postseason twice. Unfortunately, one of those years was 2018-2019, and this year could end with a similar result. If the Irish choose to go in another direction, this is an option with power conference and NCAA Tournament experience.
Glaring issue: Brey is another coach with a contract well beyond this year (through 2025).