For Penn State's Jim Ferry, a Coaching Audition Like no Other
As a head coach, Jim Ferry often pondered taking a sabbatical to dive further into the game of basketball. He was given one in 2017, when Duquesne fired him after five seasons.
"I didn't really want the sabbatical that way," Ferry said, laughing.
Four years later, Ferry is a head coach again, though not in the way he really wanted, either. But Ferry would like to solidify his chance at Penn State, which continues grinding through a difficult season after abruptly losing former coach Pat Chambers, pausing because of COVID-19 in January and dropping its first five Big Ten games.
Still, Ferry said Penn State is "pretty close" to becoming an NCAA tournament contender, despite a 2-5 Big Ten start. He also wants a shot at removing the interim tag but said he won't resort to lobbying.
"Listen, I'm not out here to politic for the job," Ferry said. "That's not what I'm doing. I'm coaching this team. That's my job. It's about these kids. I am here to give these guys the best experience they can in an unprecedented year in this world."
Ferry and Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour spoke in separate media calls Tuesday about the job and the program's future, both of which remain uncertain. Barbour acknowledged that this is "not a typical situation," with an interim coach taking over during preseason practice.
Barbour in October accepted Chambers' resignation, citing allegations of "inappropriate conduct," and promoted Ferry to interim head coach. Players voiced frustration before the season began in November, particularly at not having the decision explained to them.
"No, I'm not peace with it," guard Myles Dread said then, "and I will not be at peace with it until everybody has answers as to why."
Asked Tuesday whether she had any "misgivings" about the communication process, Barbour referred to the statement she made in October.
"I understand the question and I understand the interest in the answer to that question," Barbour said. "But certainly I made a statement in October. I know it fell short of what you all wanted. If there's any group that I would like to provide information to, it would be our students. But we've made all the comment that we're going to make."
Barbour said she plans to name a full-time head coach "immediately" after the season, adding that Ferry will be considered. Ferry, in his 20th season as a head coach, is using this year as an "audition," Barbour said, while "other candidates are auditioning elsewhere, which is obviously very useful."
"My evaluation of coach Ferry has been really outstanding," Barbour said. "He obviously stepped into a difficult situation. The Big Ten is an absolute beast. And you add to that COVID-19 and having to pause ... and I think, in terms of managing the great young men in our program, he gets stellar grades. Certainly, we had a little bit of a losing streak there, but you've got to give the guys and you've got to give Jim a lot of credit for keeping the faith and keeping the confidence."
A year ago, Penn State was settling into an eight-game win streak that included victories over Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. The Lions finished 21-10 and were headed to the NCAA tournament before learning at the Big Ten tournament that their season had been canceled.
Chambers' final game was an 80-69 loss to Northwestern. Since then, Ferry has been thrust into an unfamiliar role that wasn't part of his sabbatical plan.
Still, he's trying to make the most of his audition.
"When Pat gave me the opportunity [to be an assistant], it was an unbelievable opportunity for me because I was coming into the best conference in the country and working with someone who was really going to give me a lot of input and a big role," Ferry said. "Then I really used this time to get better. I became a better coach over my three years here as an assistant, being able to compete against some of the greatest coaches in this league and working with the staff here and getting better.
"I always said I always wanted to be a head coach again. It was always a goal of mine to be a head coach, but I also wanted to use this time to get better, and I think I've done that."
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