Notre Dame parted ways with Mike Brey at the end of this past season after a 11-21 record. Brey announced mid-season that this past year would be his last in South Bend after  a 23-year stint as head coach.

And it’s more than fair to say the move was in the best interests of all involved. Notre Dame hasn’t been past the 2nd round since 2016 and has made just 1 tournament in the past 6 years.

According to Jon Rothstein, 2nd year Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry is emerging as the primary candidate to replace Brey. The 46-year old has been an assistant in college basketball for over 20 years and has already done a lot of good in Happy Valley. He took the Nittany Lions to the Round of 32 this past season, very nearly squeaking past Texas in just their 2nd NCAAT appearance in the past 15 seasons.

What’s important to note about Shrewsberry is his success late in the season and in development. The Nittany Lions struggled to start the year and exploded entering March, making it all the way to the B1G Tournament title game against Purdue. Despite the loss there, it was good enough to ensure the Nittany Lions a spot in the dance after weeks on the bubble.