Penn State Athletics officially announced the hiring of Purdue assistant Micah Shrewsberry as its next men’s basketball coach on Monday night. Penn State’s Board of Trustees Subcommittee on Compensation approved Shrewsberry’s terms of employment on Monday evening prior to the announcement, though the terms have not been disclosed.
Monday’s news comes less than 24 hours following the announcement that Penn State had not been selected for the NIT, an outcome that a Penn State spokesperson said was not the result of the department turning down an invitation.
“Micah was a name that immediately jumped to the top of our list with his experience in the Big Ten and the NBA,” Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour said in a press release. “He has had success at all levels and knows what it takes to develop a program into a consistent national contender.
“He has learned from and worked under some of the most respected coaches in the country in Brad Stevens and Matt Painter. Micah will be an exceptional leader for the young men in our basketball program and I can’t wait for him to get to know our student-athletes. We know he will be a great addition to our Penn State family.”
Shrewsberry — who according to sources introduced himself to the team via Zoom on Monday afternoon — makes Penn State the only Power Five school with a Black head coach for both its football and men’s basketball programs.
He takes over at Penn State following the decade-long tenure of now former head coach Pat Chambers, who resigned prior to the start of the 2020 season following an internal investigation that stemmed from at least one allegation of inappropriate and racially charged remarks. Interim head coach Jim Ferry led the team to an 11-14 record during a 2020-21 season that came to a close with a 75-74 loss to Wisconsin on Thursday night in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
“I’m extremely humbled and excited to be the next head coach at Penn State University,” Shrewsberry said in a press release. “I want to thank Dr. Barron, Sandy Barbour, [deputy athletic director] Lynn Holleran and the rest of the search committee involved in this process. The values of this university and its commitment to excellence are the major reasons why this job was so appealing to me. I can’t wait to arrive on campus to begin working with our tremendous student-athletes. My family and I are looking forward to becoming a part of the Nittany Lion family.”
Shrewsberry spent the last two seasons with Big Ten foe Purdue University as the associate head coach. He spent 2008-11 at Butler under then head coach Stevens as the Bulldogs appeared in the National Championship game in 2010 and 2011. After one year at Purdue he rejoined Stevens with the NBA’s Boston Celtics from 2013-19 before returning to the Boilermakers.
Shrewsberry earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Hanover College in 1999 and a master’s degree in sports management from Indiana State in 2003. He and his wife, Molly, have four children, Braeden, Nicholas, Caitlin and Grace.
It’s unclear at this time who Shrewsberry will tab as assistant coaches and various staff members within his program. He is currently preparing with No. 4 seed Purdue for the Boilermakers’ Friday afternoon NCAA Tournament game against North Texas.
Micah Shrewsberry Resume:
2019-21 Purdue – Associate Head Coach
2013-19 Boston Celtics – Assistant Coach
2011-13 Purdue – Assistant Coach
2008-11 Butler – Assistant Coach
2007-08 Butler – Coordinator of Basketball Operations
2005-07 IU-South Bend – Head Coach
2003-05 Marshall – Director of Basketball Operations
2001-03 DePauw – Assistant Coach
1999-2000 Wabash – Assistant Coach
