It seems as though Penn State’s search for a new men’s basketball coach is coming to a close. Multiple reports on Tuesday evening suggested the school has made an offer to VCU head coach Mike Rhoades, suggesting he will indeed be the next head coach of the Nittany Lions. While there may have been plenty of calls for assistant Adam Fisher to get a serious look at being the next head coach, it is hard to argue that Penn State hasn’t made a good coaching hire on this stop on the coaching carousel.
Rhoades has taken VCU to the NCAA tournament three times in five years since being named the head coach of the Rams, succeeding Will Wade and returning to where he was once an assistant coach under Shaka Smart. Some might suggest Penn State comes out of this coaching change with an upgrade over Micah Shrewsberry, who left to become the head coach at Notre Dame, just based on his success as a head coach coming into the job.
Here is what Twitter had to say about the potential coaching hire in State College.
The initial report surfaces
it's done. Mike Rhoades to Penn State. Nice guy from central Pennsylvania whose VCU team played fun style, made tournament. Will be starting from scratch in the B1G. Rooting for him.
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) March 29, 2023
Veteran college basketball reporter Dick Weiss was one of the first to report the news of Penn State making the offer to Mike Rhoades. And as noted by Weiss, Rhoades will essentially be starting from scratch with Penn State as its roster ahs been decimated by expected departures from graduation, an early NBA draft departure, multiple players entering the transfer portal, and a pair of signees asking to be released from their NLI.
VCU may have already found its replacement
Before anything has been officially announced by Penn State, Rhoades, or VCU, Weiss went on to report that the replacement for Rhoades has already been found.
Ryan Odom leaves Utah State, resurfaces on East Coast as head coach at VCU. Great get for Rams. Welcome back coach huge fan of your dad.
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) March 29, 2023
So how much is Penn State paying?
Sources: Penn State has offered its head coaching vacancy to VCU's Mike Rhoades, with an annual salary in excess of $3 million dollars.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 28, 2023
There had been reports suggesting Penn State would pay $4 million per year for its next head coach. That may still be true according to this report form Jon Rothstein, although we likely will not be finding out many contract details from Penn State given its history. We never really knew how much Penn State was paying Shrewsberry, so it is unlikely we will find out the official number it took to get Rhoades to State College.
What's next?
Can confirm Penn State has offered its men’s basketball job to VCU’s Mike Rhoades, still finalizing logistics.
Penn State’s Subcommittee on Compensation meets Wednesday at 4pm. Most coaching announcements have come from university on heels of that executive session. https://t.co/0aINzbGbHU
— Allie Berube (@allieberube) March 29, 2023
The reason nothing official has been announced is that the school needs to vote on a final contract before approving the program to move forward with its coaching hire. That could all be done later today, according to Allie Berube of ABC 27.
Who should Rhoades' first recruit be? Why not shoot for Bronny James
mike rhoades is gonna have him doing this on a weekly basis in the bryce jordan center next season https://t.co/0v0KPe3qfG
— Bill DiFilippo (@billdifilippo) March 29, 2023
We know that Rhoades will have plenty to do with assembling roster at Penn State, so why not shoot for the most recognizable name in the game and put Penn State basketball on the map right from the start?
Penn State's gain is being felt hard by VCU fans
It’s not looking good for anyone who was hoping Mike Rhoades would be VCU’s long term coach. It seems like we Ram fans just can’t have nice things.
— Rams Rewind (@VCURamsRewind) March 29, 2023
Not that Penn State has much basketball pedigree to stand on historically, but stuff like this happens far too often for the mid-major programs. A coach is successful and leaves for a higher-paying job in a bigger revenue conference.
VCU fan believes Mike Rhoades can build Penn State up
FWIW
I still want Mike Rhoades to be my coach
He’s been at VCU for 11 of the last 14 years
He’s given his all
Penn state is a brutal job , but he’s a program builder, and I believe if anyone can win there, it’s Mike
Sucks. I’m bitter. But grateful and excited for future
— Bitter Bully (@whyouhatebilly) March 29, 2023
My beef w mike Rhoades leaving is penn state is a TRASH JOB
I won’t put my hands in that man’s pockets, good for him on the pay day , and I’m sure my man JD going and gonna get a nice bump
But if he wins there? He deserves to coach the Lakers
— Bitter Bully (@whyouhatebilly) March 29, 2023
Penn State has been to the NCAA tournament just four times since joining the Big Ten, so it’s not exactly a basketball powerhouse. But maybe, just maybe, Rhoades will finally be the guy who can build and grow the program to achieve the sustained success Shrewsberry said the school was striving for.
Not everyone is all in on Rhoades
I’m just not that thrilled about Mike Rhoades. His defenses are elite, but his VCU teams lately just feel so much less than the sum of their parts.
— Eli Nellis (@elinellis) March 29, 2023
This will likely require a bit of a deeper look at VCU’s results the past few years, but there is some slight skepticism about this being the best move for Penn State, it would seem. But three NCAA trips in five seasons is better than what Penn State has been able to manage.
Already looking ahead to next season's schedule. Penn State vs. VCU???
New Penn State coach Mike Rhoades could face his old school (VCU) in the ESPN Invitational.
I’d bet the farm they’ll be put on opposite sides of the bracket. https://t.co/9KM0eyYqva
— Buzz King (@Fieldof68Freak) March 29, 2023
If this scheduling remains in place, there is a chance Penn State could face VCU in the 2023 ESPN Invitational. It could also present a rematch of the NCAA tournament matchup with Texas A&M. Iowa State, Boise State, and Butler also made the NCAA tournament, and Virginia Tech went to the NIT.
