Penn State’s highest-profile teams — sans basketball — are on a big-time run of success. In the span of 109 days:
National championships for wrestling (again) and for women’s volleyball, with the rus(s)t now wiped off after a decade dry spell punctuated by the departure of legend Russ Rose. And final four appearances for football, in the College Football Playoff and, just last week, men’s ice hockey, which made its first Frozen Four appearance since Terry Pegula initially funded Hockey Valley.
The Nittany Lion wrestlers have now won 12 of the last 15 NCAA championships (no tourney in 2020) and their fourth straight for the third time under head coach Cael Sanderson. Sanderson is now second in all-time NCAA history, with 12 head coaching national titles.
For the women’s volleyball squad, it was its eighth national title in program history and, under the leadership of Katie Schumacher-Cawley, was the first-ever Division I title in the sport won by a team with a woman head coach. As a player, Schumacher-Cawley helped lead the Nittany Lions to the 1999 NCAA women’s volleyball championship, the program’s first national title, and the first of seven under the direction of Rose.
And it was all accomplished in just over the first 1,000-day reign of athletic director Pat Kraft, who came to Penn State in mid-2022. At the May 1, 2022, press conference announcing his hiring, Kraft immediately — and now we know, characteristically — promised big things for the 31-sport department.
“We are 31 strong,” Kraft enthused. “Hear me again: We are 31 strong. And we are committed to winning national championships, conference championships. We will continue the tradition of winning.
“We’re going to continue to win,” Kraft added. “I need to talk with Cael and see how he’s done it so well so consistently. That’s the GOAT.”
That day, I wrote that Kraft’s biggest key to success was his Penn State head coaches — knowing, of course, that the cash cow for the entire PSU ICA was football. Still, Kraft’s goal was to have broad-based success. Exactly the kind that has happened from Dec. 22, 2024, to April 10, 2025 — when women’s volleyball, football, wrestling and men’s ice hockey collectively delivered on Kraft’s prophecy.
Kraft has opened Penn State’s checkbook and put PSU money where his mouth is — in a good way; he is a vocal and visual presence at seemingly every Penn State sports event you go to. The results? The 2 x Nattys and the 2 x Final Four speak for themselves. And for Pat.
But, a nod has to go to the athletic directors who preceded Kraft. They made the key decisions and hired the coaches who have been behind this fantastic run. Tim Curley hired both Sanderson and men’s ice hockey coach Guy Gadowsky. Dave Joyner led the hiring group that found football’s James Franklin. And Sandy Barbour elevated Schumacher-Cawley from assistant under Rose to his successor.
THE COACH AS TEACHER
I’ve had scores of their student-athletes in class in my 26 years of teaching at Penn State. So, I’ve seen what these coaches’ athletes do both on and off the field. My dad was a longtime high school teacher and coach. My mom taught, my sister taught. So, from my POV, I see great coaches as great teachers.
And, to me, that’s a very important part of the secret sauce of this Fabulous Four. They teach. But, they also have established a special culture. Of family, team, values. Of Penn State tradition. NIL dollars help. So do great players and top-notch athletic directors. But, to me, great teams only happen with great coaches. So, I like it when coaches talk about being teachers.
In 2017, I did a special series of interviews for StateCollege.com, asking Penn State’s best head coaches and culture-drivers the “One Word” that described their philosophy on sport, teaching and life. Sanderson (gratitude), Gadowsky (environment) and Franklin (relationships) all took part. So did Rose (commitment). I utilize quotes below from those interviews. For Schumacher-Cawley, I refer to a recent interview she did with Leaders magazine.
For all four successful head coaches, teaching is at the foundation of what they do. In their words:
Sanderson to me, in 2017: “No. 1, the most important thing is just living it. Example is always the best teacher. You have to spend a lot of time introducing the concept, the idea, and what it means.”
Gadowsky to me, in 2017: “My whole family was teachers. Everybody. Grandmother, sisters, dad. I consider myself one as well.”
Franklin to Board of Trustees, in 2017: “Our job is not to send these guys to the NFL, which stands for ‘not for long.’ Our job is to make sure our guys leave as educated men and prepared for life. We want to make a positive impact in our community and want to be able to consistently compete for Big Ten divisional conference championships, conference championships and national championships.”
Schumacher-Cawley to Leaders magazine, in 2025: “This is such a fun and transformative time in these student-athletes’ lives. It’s a period of growth, self-discovery and building relationships that will last a lifetime. The lessons they learn – discipline, teamwork, perseverance – will carry them far beyond their playing days.”
MORE ON THE FOUR
Let’s dig a bit deeper into the four head coaches. They are profiled below, with a salient (and prescient) quotation from the day they were hired, plus an excerpt from my One Word series. You can see why their teams are uber-successful.
CAEL SANDERSON
HIRED: April 17, 2009, by AD Tim Curley
DAY ONE QUOTE (Sanderson): “My goal is to compete for the national championship every year. It’s real simple. This is wrestling country. This is a school kids want to come to. And I think we can get them here.”
SANDERSON ON GRATITUDE: “There are a lot of words that are important. But I do think the foundation for success is based on gratitude. Everything — peace of mind, happiness, getting the most out of what you have — springs off of the word ‘gratitude.’ ” For sports or for life? “I think they’re all the same. That’s the great thing about wrestling, right? It’s life in a microcosm. You learn what it takes and what it doesn’t take. Gratitude is right at the foundation of all things. That’s Biblical.
“So, what does gratitude mean? I’ve thought a lot about it, for years and years. It just means that you think less about yourself. If I’m grateful, I’m going to think less about myself and more about others, and the opportunities I have. …True gratitude isn’t just if you win. True gratitude is based on all things — success and failure. If I’m truly grateful, I’m going to maintain that regardless of the outcome. Otherwise, it’s not gratitude.”
GUY GADOWSKY
HIRED: April 24, 2011, by AD Tim Curley
DAY ONE QUOTE (Curley): “Guy has developed NHL players and won conference championships and has had teams participate in the NCAA Tournament. He’s been recognized with both conference and national Coach of the Year honors. He’s highly-respected among his peers. And every person we spoke to spoke about his high integrity and his passion for the game and for the student athletes that are under his leadership. His players have consistently excelled in the classroom and community as well. We believe he has the total package to reach the goals for our program and will be a fantastic addition to the Penn State community.”
GADOWSKY ON ENVIRONMENT: “It’s the environment that really helps you get a good culture. Culture is a big word for us, and that’s what you’re committed to, what’s your work ethic to do that. But environment is different. A big challenge to making that happen is consistency. A lot of times, it’s easy to allow distractions make you think and act negatively. You have to block all of that out. You control your environment. That goes both ways. Sometimes, the outside world is going to tell you how bad you are and sometimes the outside world is going to tell you how great you are. You have to continually make sure that your environment is consistent.”
JAMES FRANKLIN
HIRED: Jan. 11, 2014, by AD Dave Joyner
DAY ONE QUOTE (PSU president Rodney Erickson): “Dr. Joyner and I have stressed that our No. 1 priority in hiring a new coach was to hire an outstanding leader for our football program, one who will continue our long tradition of student-athlete success on the field and in the classroom. Coach Franklin’s record of success is extraordinary, but even more impressive is his passion for not only the game of football, but also creating an atmosphere in which student-athletes can succeed. His character, work ethic, values and knowledge of the game make him an outstanding fit for our program and to lead our student-athletes.”
FRANKLIN ON RELATIONSHIPS: “It really hit home with me that you can be the best coach in the world. You can be driven, you can be passionate, you can understand fundamentals and schemes and all of those things. But if guys don’t want to play hard for you, it’s not going to matter. I tell the coaches all the time: Every time we have a discussion and a decision to make in the program, it should start with, ‘Is this something that is going to form healthy, positive relationships in our building?’ If not, we shouldn’t be doing it. It has to make us better, it has make the kids better.
“That doesn’t mean the conversations and situations are easy. I’m not a person who is scared of conflict. Some people don’t like conflict and they avoid it at all costs. I think conflict is healthy, if handled in the right way and not disrespectful. Conflict is an opportunity for growth. Two people who disagree on something should be able to talk through it and come to an understanding. I tell the players all the time: ‘A true friend and a true teammate tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.’ ”
KATIE SCHUMACHER-CAWLEY
HIRED: Jan. 10, 2022, by AD Sandy Barbour
DAY ONE QUOTE (Barbour): “Katie has a deep connection with the Penn State program as both an All-American and national champion student-athlete and assistant coach. During our search process, we were looking for candidates with demonstrated success as a head coach, a commitment to excellence in competition and academics, and character and values that match Penn State’s. We found all of that. The future of Penn State women’s volleyball is very bright with Katie at the helm. I’m very excited about what lies ahead for our program and the current and future students who will benefit from coach Cawley’s leadership and expertise.”
SCHUMACHER-CAWLEY ON CULTURE: “The Penn State volleyball culture is built on a foundation of accountability, trust and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Every player, regardless of their role, has an impact on the team’s success. Whether they are a starter, a key rotational player, or someone pushing the team every day in practice, their contributions matter. This program is not just about individual talent – it’s about how each athlete embraces their role, elevates those around them and commits to the greater mission of the team.
“We set high expectations for ourselves, not just on the court but in everything we do. Excellence isn’t just about winning matches – it’s about discipline in training, dedication to personal growth and carrying ourselves with integrity in the classroom, in the community, and in life. Our culture thrives on a collective mindset – putting the team first, trusting the process, and taking pride in the hard work it takes to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”
