Fresh off its first NCAA tournament appearance in 12 years, the Penn State men’s basketball program is apparently zeroing in on its next head coach.
The Nittany Lions have reportedly offered the position to current VCU coach Mike Rhoades, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. The offer is reportedly worth over $3 million per year.
Rhoades, 50, has spent the past six seasons with VCU, leading the Rams to NCAA tournament appearances three times during that span. VCU won the Atlantic 10 regular season and conference tournament titles this past season, finishing with a 27–8 overall record. The Rams were a No. 12 seed in this year’s tournament, losing to Saint Mary’s in the first round.
Penn State finished the season 23–14 under second-year coach Micah Shrewsberry, making the field for the first time since 2011. The head coaching job became available after Shrewsberry left to take the job at Notre Dame, replacing Mike Brey.
Rhoades broke into college coaching at Randolph-Macon, a Division III program in Virginia. He joined VCU as an assistant coach in 2009 under Shaka Smart, then left to take the head coaching position at Rice in ’14 before returning for the head job at VCU in ’17.
