With Georgetown out of the Shrewsberry sweepstakes, is Providence a legitimate concern?
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Just when you thought Penn State might be able to breathe a little bit easier as news of Georgetown’s coaching hire broke, it seems the school losing its coach to the Hoyas is already being mentioned as a potential suitor of Micah Shrewsberry.
Georgetown hired Ed Cooley to be its next head basketball coach. Cooley had spent the previous 12 seasons as the head coach at Providence. There is no doubt why Georgetown was interested in Cooley, having witnessed his success with the Friars up close as Big East foes. Cooley took Providence to the NCAA tournament seven times, including this season, and turned an average program into a legitimate Big East contender. So as Providence looks to move forward without Cooley, the search is on for a coach who can continue keeping Providence competitive at a high level without taking too far of a step back under a new regime.
Shrewsberry, much to the ire of Penn State fans, has already been mentioned as a potential ideal candidate for the job with the Friars.
Two names likely to be high on Providence’s list, source told @Stadium.
Penn State’s Micah Shrewsberry (who I don’t think would take it)
George Mason’s Kim English
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 20, 2023
It is true that Providence has a better overall basketball history than Penn State to fall back on, and Providence does offer an excellent chance of regularly competing for a power conference championship and a spot in the NCAA tournament. But if Penn State loses Shrewsberry to Providence over dollars and cents, that would simply be inexcusable.
There are a few schools looking for a new head coach that Penn State should be legitimately concerned with poaching Shrewsberry. While it does seem optimistic Penn State will be serious in attempting to keep Shrewsberry in Happy Valley, and Shrewsberry is already working on building his roster for next season, the concern over losing one of the trendy names in the coaching rumor mill should be unsettling until a deal is officially done.
It will likely require more than simply paying Shrewsberry. Penn State must be prepared to invest more in the staff and facilities the way it did for football head coach James Franklin. Penn State’s basketball program has long lived in the shadow of football and perhaps other sports. But after a quick turnaround under Shrewsberry, the time is now for Penn State to be serious about taking the next steps toward building a basketball program that can sustain success rather than hope to make the NCAA tournament once a decade.
When it comes to revenue, Penn State easily outpaces Providence, so any decision that ultimately comes down to money should not be a problem for Penn State’s brass. If Shrewsberry feels he is better off overall at a program like Providence or Notre Dame, then so be it. But if a decision is ultimately coming down to who is paying top dollar, this is not a battle Penn State should lose to Providence. Notre Dame could be a different story, but Providence emerging as a potential suitor for Shrewsberry should not be a major concern for Penn State.
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