Penn State hires VCU’s Rhoades as men’s basketball coach

Penn State hired VCU’s Mike Rhoades on Wednesday to be its newmen’s basketball coach, bringing in the Pennsylvania native to takeover a program coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance inmore than a decade.

A person involved in the decision told The Associated Press thatRhoades is receiving a seven-year contract. The person spoke oncondition of anonymity because terms of the deal were notimmediately released by the school.

Rhoades, from Mahanoy City in Eastern Pennsylvania, replacesMicah Shrewsberry, who was hired away by Notre Dame last week.

Shrewsberry, an Indiana native, was at Penn State for twoseasons. The Nittany Lions went 23-14 this season, reached the NCAATournament for the first time since 2011 and won an NCAA game forthe first time since 2001.

Rhoades, 50, was 129-61 in six seasons as head coach at VCU,including three NCAA Tournament bids. He also spent three seasonsat Rice, going 23-12 in the final year with the Owls beforereturning to VCU.

He was an assistant at the Richmond, Virginia, school from2009-14 under then-head coach Shaka Smart.