Micah Shrewsberry responds to latest coaching rumors

Following Penn State’s Big Ten semifinal victory over Indiana on Saturday in Chicago, head coach Micah Shrewsberry had plenty to say about the effort of his team, facing Purdue in the Big Ten championship game on Sunday, and more. As Penn State was preparing to take on the Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon, rumblings and reports of Shrewsberry drawing interest to fill job openings at other schools surfaced, leaving him to answer questions about his future with Penn State as well.

“I’m complete tunnel vision on our team,” Shrewsberry said in his postgame media availability following a 77-73 win over Indiana when asked about the reports linking him to potential opportunities elsewhere. “That’s all I’m focused on. I’m happy to be here.”

Shrewsberry’s name has been tied to the coaching searches going on at Georgetown and Notre Dame. Georgetown fired its head coach, Patrick Ewing, following its elimination from the Big East tournament. Notre Dame is looking to replace the retiring Mike Brey.

Shrewsberry’s stock as a coaching candidate is as hot as it has ever been. In just his second season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, Shrewsberry has put together a roster built on transfers and returning players and recruits that will end its 11-year NCAA tournament drought and play for the Big Ten championship. It has been quite a run for Shrewsberry, and Penn State fans are hoping it’s not over so quickly.

Penn State should be in position to keep Shrewsberry in Happy Valley. If it comes down to money, Penn State should be more than capable of equaling or topping any offer that comes his way. There is simply too much revenue coming Penn State’s way from the Big Ten’s media rights deals to allow for that to be a reason Shrewsberry leaves town. But if Shrewsberry wants to take on an opportunity to coach a program with a bit mroe basketball history behind it, Penn State would have to sell Shrewsberry on the opportunity to build a similar story in State College.

It is a venture Penn State has had brief glimpses of achieving every decade or so, but has never been sustained for one reason or another. But the time is now to keep Shrewsberry most interested in continuing what he has started with the Nittany Lions.

The pressure is on for Penn State, because the more Shrewsberry continues to win, the hotter his name is going to continue to be on the coaching market.

Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire