Notre Dame Points to Micah Shrewsberry's 'Historic Turnaround' at Penn State
Micah Shrewsberry bid farewell to Penn State on Friday, as Notre Dame introduced him as its new men's basketball coach. Before the announcement from Notre Dame, Shrewsberry released a statement that said Penn Staters "made this place feel like home."
"It's hard to put into words what this team has meant to me," Shrewsberry said. "Their competitiveness, toughness, and teamwork all showed through in our toughest moments."
Notre Dame reportedly reached a seven-year deal with Shrewsberry, who spent two seasons at Penn State. On Friday, Notre Dame introduced Shrewsberry as "an Indiana native who has come home to kick off a new era of Notre Dame men's basketball."
Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick pointed to Shrewsberry as his primary target over a two-month search.
"Throughout this process, it reaffirmed for me that this job was among the best in the country as we had many great candidates express interest," Swarbrick said in a statement.
"During our two-month process, we weekly reviewed our candidate pool and each week [Shrewsberry] stayed at the top of our list due to his fit at the University and his commitment to the student-athlete experience. Not only do his personal & family values align with the University, but his dedication to the development of each member of his program as well.”
Notre Dame's release referenced the "historic turnaround" Shrewsberry produced at Penn State this season, taking the team from 14 wins in his first year to 23 wins, its first Big Ten Tournament final since 2011 and its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2001.
The release also noted that Penn State had "captured the nation's attention" during a late-season run in which the team won eight of 10 games, including five straight. It also described the "instant splash" Shrewsberry made as a recruiter, bringing in consecutive class ranked among the top 30 for the first time in school history.
“I’m very excited to be joining the University of Notre Dame family,” Shrewsberry said in a statement. "The combination of top notch academics, plus a long storied history of success on the basketball court, made this a very attractive job for me. The power of the Notre Dame brand, and the passionate alumni family, will allow us to recruit the brightest student-athletes from coast to coast. I can’t wait to get to campus and begin connecting with the students, faculty and staff which make this place special."
Notre Dame will introduce Shrewsberry on Thursday in an event that the athletic department will stream live at und.com.
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