Notre Dame is finalizing terms with Penn State men’s basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry to become the program’s next head coach, according to multiple national media reports. Shrewsberry will be announced as Notre Dame’s next head coach on Friday according to CBS Sports.
Penn State confirmed Shrewsberry’s departure later on Wednesday night:
“This afternoon, Penn State Head Men’s Basketball Coach Micah Shrewsberry called to inform me that he was leaving the University to accept a position at another institution,” Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft said in a statement. “We thank Micah for his contributions to the PSU community and wish him the very best. We are already moving forward in a search for a new head coach and will identify and appoint a tremendous coach, teacher and person, who will take us to unprecedented heights.”
“We are so proud of our amazingly talented student-athletes and all they accomplished this year and will in the future. We are also so appreciative of our student body and our passionate fans who support our basketball program.
Shrewsberry leaves Penn State after two seasons at the helm of the program. The Nittany Lions wen 23-14 this year, falling in the second round of the men’s NCAA Tournament to No. 2 seeded Texas during the program’s first appearance in the tournament in 22 years. Penn State went 14-17 in Shrewsberry’s first season in State College, leaning on transfer portal acquisitions and a unique style of offensive play to find success in Shrewsberry’s season season..
For Shrewsberry the move is a return to his roots. Born in Indianapolis, Shrewsberry has made five different coaching stops in the state over the course of his coaching career. His role as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics and his time spent at Penn State are the only two coaching jobs Shrewsberry has had out of the state of Indiana. Shrewsberry was briefly Marshall Universities’ Director of Basketball Ops, which is located in West Virginia. Shrewsberry’s first head coaching job was at IU South Bend.
As for Penn State, Kraft will have a tall order ahead looking to make his first major hire – and perhaps a tenure defining one – as he looks to replace Shrewsberry in the coming months. Penn State men’s basketball will have now have had four head coaches in five years following the hiring of Shrewsberry’s replacement.
