Penn State coach Patrick Chambers has tabbed Ryan Devlin to fill the role of Director of Player Development for the Nittany Lion basketball program.
Devlin comes to Penn State following a four-year stint as an assistant coach at the College of Southern Idaho. While at Idaho, Devlin helped guide the Golden Eagles to a 105-32 record while maintaining a strong presence in the Top-10 of the Junior College rankings. The Golden Eagles were 2011 NJCAA National Championship under Devlin’s watch.
“We are excited to welcome Ryan back to the state of Pennsylvania and to the Penn State program,” Chambers said. “He has a proven record of success whereever he has been and is a terrific, hard working, energetic addition to our staff.”
For Penn State, Devlin fills a role vacated by recently departed assistant Adam Fisher who headed to the University of Miami to take over the role as Director of Basketball Operations in late May.
As a Pittsburgh native, Devlin also provides Penn State with more recruiting ties within the state. Devlin also is a well-suited to act as a liaison between Penn State and junior college programs. While not the preferred route for recruiting, junior college transfers can provide teams with more immediate playing experience than a traditionally-recruited high school senior.
Penn State has seen varied success with junior college recruits but gems like former Nittany Lion Stanley Pringle Jr can sometimes be the difference between a bubble team and an NCAA bid.
