Penn State Basketball: Extending Pat Chambers makes sense
The Penn State Nittany Lions are putting their trust in Pat Chambers after extending him through the 2021-22 season.
Pat Chambers arrived in Happy Valley ready to turn around a basketball program at a football-heavy school.
He’s going to continue to get time to do so.
The Penn State Nittany Lions announced an extension for their head basketball coach on Friday. Terms of the contract aren’t official yet, but they will keep Chambers in Happy Valley through the 2021-22 season.
There are some who will detract from the extension, wondering why the school is putting their faith in a coach who brought Boston University to the NCAA Tournament more times (once) than the Nittany Lions (still waiting).
Only at Penn State does a basketball coach get a contract extension after a 7th season with no NCAA berths and just one NIT bid.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 3, 2018
But Pat Chambers is a good guy, so good for him.
It’s true enough that Penn State has finished with a winning record in only two of Chambers’ seven seasons. They haven’t even finished with a winning record in Big Ten play in any of his seasons.
Only predecessor Ed DeChellis has a worst winning percentage in school history. Each of the two men Chambers is following ended their tenures after their eighth season, which he’s about to embark upon.
But last year, Chambers proved he’s building something special in Happy Valley.
Penn State arguably deserved a shot at the NCAA Tournament, building a resume off of three wins over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Nevertheless, they went to the NIT and tore up opponent after opponent, capturing their first NIT title since 2009.
Now, he needs to bring the Nittany Lions back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
He’s demonstrated an ability to attract talent to the school. Tony Carr was developing into one of the best players in the Big Ten before he left for the NBA Draft this spring. Lamar Stevens, rising junior and reigning NIT MVP, returns to lead Penn State.
Chambers also brought in a solid, albiet unspectacular recruiting class for 2018. According to 247 Sports, the class is the 46th best in the nation, although one of the worst in the Big Ten.
Next: Impact of Romeo Langford's commitment
Time will tell if Penn State was right to reward Pat Chambers with an extension. If last season was the start of a new chapter, however, the Nittany Lions will reap their reward soon.