Penn State men’s basketball coach leaves to join Syracuse Orange

It was a tough year for Penn State’s men’s basketball team, and unfortunately, the offseason isn’t starting off much better. Freshman guard Melih Tunca entered the transfer portal last week and was followed by the team’s leading scorer this week, Freddie Dilione V . It seems like it’s going to be an active portal cycle for the Nittany Lions , and now they’ll have the displeasure of dealing with some coaching turnover as well.

Jamal Brunt, who served as the team’s associate head coach for the past three seasons, will be leaving to join Gerry McNamara’s staff at Syracuse , according to a report from Centre Daily Times . This comes as a shock to the system as Brunt served under head coach Mike Rhodes for the past eight years at both Penn State and VCU . While his official role with the Orange hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s a tough pill to swallow that he left for a lateral move at best.

Also serving as the Nittany Lions ’ defensive coordinator for the past three years, Brunt’s replacement will have big shoes to fill. This could serve as another crushing blow to a team who is already staggering after last season. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X and Facebook .

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State associate HC Jamal Brunt follows Gerry McNamara to Syracuse