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The Latest on Micah Shrewsberry, Penn State and Notre Dame

Penn State reportedly has made a 'lucrative' long-term offer to retain Shrewsberry following return to NCAA Tournament.

Penn State awaits a decision from men's basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry who, after guiding the team to its first NCAA Tournament victory in 22 years, reportedly is considering the position at Notre Dame.

Shrewsberry, Penn State's second-year coach, is a "primary candidate" for the opening at Notre Dame, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, and also negotiating a potential long-term contract extension with Penn State. ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported that the situation could be decided within the next day.

Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Kraft has made clear that he wants to retain Shrewsberry, which reflects in the offer Penn State has made, according to Stadium's Jeff Goodman.

"I'm committed to keeping [Shrewsberry]," Kraft said in December. "Micah is a great coach. Micah is a really, really, really good coach."

Shrewsberry generated attention after taking the Nittany Lions on a March run during which they won nine of 12 games, reached the Big Ten Tournament final and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.

During the tournament, Shrewsberry did not directly address his future but did say he felt "in sync" with the administration, university president and Kraft. Shrewsberry also said he was enjoying his first NCAA Tournament run as a head coach with the program.

"I'm happy that this group gets a chance to fire up all Penn Staters about basketball," Shrewsberry said last week. "I'm happy that this group gets a chance to bring everybody together, because I've talked to players that have played for all of them. They're all so excited about that.

"Let's keep that going. Let's be one family, let's keep rolling in one direction and let's keep going to tournaments every single year." 

Notre Dame, which 11-21 this season, is looking for a new coach after the school and Mike Brey jointly announced the coach's decision to leave at season's end. Shrewsberry, whose career record is 37-31, fits Notre Dame from a number of perspectives.

First, Shrewsberry has deep Indiana roots. He's originally from Jeffersonville, an Indiana town just over the border from Louisville, and played high school basketball in Indianapolis.

He went to Hanover College, Indiana's oldest private college, and received his Master's degree from Indiana State. He has coached at six Indiana colleges or universities, spending nine seasons at Purdue and Butler. He also spent three seasons, from 2005-07, working 10 minutes from Notre Dame as the first full-time head men's basketball coach at Indiana University South Bend. Shrewsberry grew up "idolizing" Bobby Knight.

Shrewsberry also has proven capable of quick rebuilds. He took a Penn State team that went 14-17 in his first season to 23 wins and a tournament bid in his second. He also has demonstrated an ability to recruit at this level, bringing in two top-30 classes.

The Penn State Board of Trustees' Subcommittee on Compensation must approve a new contract or extension for Shrewsberry. The subcommittee would schedule a public session to announce contract approval.

At least one former Penn State player is publicly lobbying for Shrewsberry. Mikey Henn, who transferred to Penn State last season, posted this on Twitter.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.