Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1496986
M A Y 2 0 2 3 41 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M wrapped up his 19th season as a head coach and his 28th in the profession. He has produced a 373-189 overall record in head coaching stops at Randolph-Macon (1999-2009), Rice (2014-17) and VCU (2017-23). Rhoades' five seasons working under Shaka Smart as the associate head coach at VCU helped to deliver a remarkable run of success. Notching a College Basketball Invitational championship in the staff's debut in 2009, the Rams followed with four consecutive NCAA Tournament ap- pearances, including the legendary run to the Final Four to conclude the 2010-11 campaign. Taking the head coaching job at Rice ahead of the 2014-15 season, Rhoades transformed a perennial Conference USA doormat over three seasons. Although the Owls produced back-to- back 12-20 overall records his first two years with the program, a 23-12 cam- paign, including an 11-7 conference re- cord, sent Rhoades back to VCU in the top seat. It remains Rice's only winning conference record in the past 18 seasons. Upon return- ing to VCU in 2017 after Will Wa d e l e f t fo r L SU, R h o a d e s kept the machine churning. In his second year at t h e h e l m , t h e Rams won the Atlantic 10 title to reach the NCAA Tournament, landing him con- ference Coach of the Year honors in the process. The team notched a second-place con- ference finish in 2020-21 to again reach the NCAA Tournament and returned to the top of the A10 this past season. In all, Rhoades reached the dance in three of his six seasons with the Rams, twice winning the A10. 'He Gets It' Determined to create a sustainable model of success for Penn State, Kraft said Rhoades' track record offers an indi- cation of what can be achieved. "He understands what it takes to win at every level. He's done it at Randolph- Macon. He did it at Rice. He's done it at VCU. He's a winner," Kraft said. "Mike is widely respected across the country for his coaching acumen, his leadership and his work ethic. "He understands what Penn State and our community mean to the state of Pennsylvania. He gets it." Given the circumstances of Shrewsber- ry's exit, that knowledge will be crucial. Penn State's approach to name, image and likeness considerations was of major con- cern for the Nittany Lions' former coach. In addition, the Bryce Jordan Center and its in-game atmosphere remained a lingering issue, one that has now spanned multiple head coaching staffs. Over the years, Penn State has found no shortage of obstacles as it has worked to create the kind of sustained success that Rhoades will now be tasked with deliver- ing. Upon his introduction, the message from Rhoades was one of a shared vision for the future. Pointing to the enthusiasm of Kraft and university president Neeli Bendapudi, Rhoades said he's confident that PSU will be effective in using a coalition ap- proach to solve challenges. " T h e N o . 1 thing that kept coming to my m i n d wa s t h e alignment of our president, the direc- tor of athletics, and the new basketball coach. I heard it, I felt it and just couldn't wait to get started," Rhoades said. "To see the alignment from the top, to our leader, and to coach, it's not everywhere. That's special." Man With A Plan Rhoades signed a seven-year contract that will pay him $3.4 million next season, not including performance bonuses. His guaranteed pay will increase by $100,000 per season after that, topping out at $4 million in 2029-30. The pact, which includes a buyout starting at $15 million the first year, sig- nals a new financial commitment to the program. It's also a sign of the university's desire for long-term coaching stability. "We're talking about a plan and build- ing it to last, not to just get hot," Rhoades said. "We're going to build this, and I'm committed to building this to last and to make it so successful that everybody wants to come here, not just to play bas- ketball, but to watch us play and be a part of it. "You have to have a commitment from everybody. This is Penn State. You're always going to do it the right way and with great class and dignity. But you can Rhodes was introduced on March 30 as the 15th men's basketball head coach in Penn State history. He has a 373-189 career record, includ- ing a 129-61 mark in six seasons at Virginia Commonwealth. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS "We loved him from the start, and we wanted to run through a wall for him. He's a winner, hard stop." P A T R I C K K R A F T O N R H O A D E S