Penn State basketball head coach rumors: Top candidates to fill job with Micah Shrewsberry going to Notre Dame

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Micah Shrewsberry is reportedly finalizing a deal to become the new head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Shrewsberry led Penn State to the Big Ten Championship Game and got the program's first March Madness win since 2001 with a first-round victory over Texas A&M. Who are some potential candidates to replace him?

Dusty May, FAU

Dusty May led the FAU Owls to an incredible run in Conference USA this season, keeping the Owls in the AP Top 25 for a period of time and reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Penn State certainly has a bigger budget to offer than Florida Atlantic does, as well as bigger games to play, though May doesn't have many Big Ten connections in his coaching history.

Matt Langel, Colgate

Langel has had relatively recent success in the Patriot League, and has some state ties as a player and assistant coach at Penn and Temple. He's gone to the NCAA tournament in four out of the last five seasons, with the one absence being the year the tournament was scrapped. He has experience building up a program without getting the best recruits, and maybe Penn State is willing to spend a bit more after seeing what this program can become with some investment.

Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston

Kelsey's Charleston Cougars notched an impressive 30-win season, putting the coach's name on the national watch list for bigger schools. His contract reportedly includes a $1 million buyout, which could be an obstacle for the Penn State brass, but if they want to repeat Shrewsberry's success, they may need to be prepared to empty their pockets.

  
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