In Shrewsberry, Nittany Lions welcome 'charismatic' new head coach
Naming Micah Shrewsberry the 14th head coach in the history of its men’s basketball program, Penn State brought in a veteran assistant coach at both the college and NBA level.
According to Brian Neubert of GoldandBlack.com, a longtime writer covering Purdue men’s basketball for the Rivals network, the Nittany Lions also brought in a true ambassador for the program moving forward.
“He's a charismatic guy who people tend to gravitate toward, one of the funniest people you'll meet, but also extremely cerebral and level-headed, a calm and steady personality,” Neubert told BWI. “I think those things will suit him well at Penn State, which isn't an easy job.
“I think he's someone people will be drawn to, whether it's in recruiting, fans watching the program, whoever it may be, and players have always seemed to respond to him especially well. I think he's a bridge-builder, as opposed to being a bridge-burner. He's earned this opportunity on his own accord but he's also learned from a couple of the wisest coaches I'm aware of in Brad Stevens and Matt Painter, (which) can't hurt.”
Spending the past two seasons with the Boilermakers on Matt Painter’s staff, Shrewsberry helped engineer an offensive emergence that spanned two separate stints with the program.
According to Neubert, Shrewsberry’s first two years at Purdue were heavily influential in Painter’s approach to becoming one of the most consistently offensively productive teams in the Big Ten. Topping 71 points this season, the Boilermakers again reached the NCAA Tournament behind an 18-9 overall record and a 13-6 mark against conference opponents.
“Before (his first stint at Purdue) it was sort of an effort- and defense-driven program. The offense Purdue nearly rode to the Final Four two seasons ago, that was a lot of stuff that Shrewsberry brought with him from Butler, I think,” Neubert said. “The NBA experience is a big deal, too. He does a really good job with play design, with finding ways to feature a team's best players and as a teacher.”
Spending six seasons on the bench with Brad Stevens at the Boston Celtics before his return to Purdue, Shrewsberry also established a reputation for building strong relationships within the franchise.
An element stressed as one of Shrewberry’s strengths, Neubert added that the program’s new coach is one with which Penn State can grow.
“He’s an excellent relationship guy and NBA experience nowadays is a huge plus in recruiting, because that's what every kid out there wants to hear about,” Neubert said. “He's not going to make empty promises, and he certainly isn't going to take credit for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown's success or anything like that, but he can credibly speak to what it takes to make the NBA if you're good enough, and my guess is he'll run offense shaped accordingly.
“Honestly, I think he checks a lot of boxes for what you're looking for in a head coach and can have some success at Penn State, provided Penn State commits itself to have success in basketball. I think they've taken a step in the right direction with this hire, at least.”
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