3 worst head coach hires in Penn State basketball history
By Josh Yourish
2011-20. Pat Chambers. player. Pat Chambers. 1. Record: 148-150. Pat Chambers. . . 491
Chambers only needed two seasons at Boston University to take the Terriers to the NCAA Tournament. He put together back-to-back 21-14 years and in 2011 won the Patriot League Tournament to qualify for the big dance. It was a small sample size, but enough for Penn State.
The Nittany Lions were also coming off a tournament appearance, but head coach Ed DeChellis, who led them there, left for the Patriot League, taking the head job at Navy because of Penn State’s lack of commitment to the basketball program, at least as he perceived it.
Chambers was given a long leash by the Penn State athletic department, which gave him nine seasons at the helm. Despite posting a losing record in four of his first six years, Chambers, and star guard Lamar Stevens, led Penn State to 26-13 in the 2017-18 season, but with a 9-9 conference record, the Nittany Lions didn’t qualify for the tournament.
Penn State never made the NCAA Tournament under Chambers, who resigned due to an internal investigation regarding inappropriate conduct amidst a winning campaign in the 2019-20 season.
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