Penn State Fired 1 Basketball Coach and Could Make Another Move

Penn State has fired women's basketball coach Carolyn Kieger after seven seasons in which the program finished above .500 once and did not make the NCAA Women's Tournament. Athletic Director Pat Kraft announced the decision Thursday after the Lady Lions went 11-18 overall.

Kraft said that Penn State will begin a national search for a new women's basketball coach. The athietic director could be exploring options for the struggling men's basketball team as well.

"We appreciate Coach Kieger’s commitment and passion she brought to Penn State Lady Lion Basketball,” Kraft said in a statement. "Looking ahead, we remain committed to competing at the
highest level, and we believe a change in leadership is necessary to propel the program toward sustained excellence.”

For Penn State, basketball has been major winter disappointment. Six Penn State teams are ranked in the top 10 of their respective sports, including the No. 1 wrestling team, the No. 3 women's hockey team and the No. 6 men's hockey team.

But Penn State's men and women's basketball teams are a combined 7-30 in conference play. At one point, both teams were 0-10 in the Big Ten.

The Penn State women's team went 4-14 in the Big Ten, finishing 16th in the conference and missing the Big Ten tournament for the second consecutive season.

The Penn State men's team is 3-16 in the Big Ten with one regular-season game remaining against Rutgers. The Nittany Lions likely will be the 18th seed for the Big Ten men's basketball tournament.

Penn State women's basketball struggled to find an identity

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Carolyn Kieger watches her team during the second quarter against the USC Trojans. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Kieger became Penn State's head coach in 2019 after five seasons at Marquette, where she led the program to three straight 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances. Kieger's best season at Penn State was the 2023-24 campaign, when the Lady Lions went 22-13 and made the WBIT Final Four.

Otherwise, Penn State did not finish above .500 and did not win more than six Big Ten games in a season. The Lady Lions went 5-31 in the Big Ten over the past two seasons. Kieger went 84-123 in seven seasons at Penn State.

What does Mike Rhoades' future hold?

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades looks back towards the bench against the Ohio State Buckeyes. — Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades looks back toward the bench during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Rhoades, in his third season at Penn State, has labored to get his team of eight freshmen and one senior into a rhythm this season. The Nittany Lions fell to Ohio State 94-62 in their home finale on Wednesday, marking their 16th Big Ten loss of the season. It's the most for a Penn State men's team since 2012-13, when the Nittany Lions went 2-16 during an 18-game conference schedule.

After Wednesday's game, Rhoades was asked whether that might have been his last home game as Penn State's head coach. Rhoades signed a seven-year contract in 2023. According to his public term sheet, Rhoades' buyout would be $9 million if fired this season.

"My last game? No." Rhoades told Mark Brennan of Lions247 at his post-game press conference. "I've got four years left on my contract, so, do you think it’s going to be my last game? I’m going to coach my butt off, go as hard as I can. Wake up tomorrow, work hard, work harder than I ever have and just keep going and keep coaching."

Earlier this season, Rhoades received an endorsement from Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.
"You've got yourself a great coach, and you've got some really good young players," Izzo said of Penn State.

Asked whether he's still the right coach to lead the program, Rhoades said he is "because I care."

"I’m going to fight," Rhoades told reporters in State College. "There’s some things you have to deal with, and we’ll deal with them, try to keep building the program. It's a different landscape than it has ever been before, so you’ve got to just continue to respond in different ways to it and fight for your program and keep pushing."

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