Former Duquesne coach Jim Ferry joins Penn State men’s basketball staff

The Penn State men’s basketball team announced the hiring of assistant coach Jim Ferry on Tuesday.

Ferry joins the Penn State staff after five years as the head coach at Duquesne, where he finished with a 60-97 record. Ferry was fired by Duquesne in March following a 10-22 season.

“We absolutely seized the opportunity to bring a person and a coach of Jim’s caliber into our Penn State basketball family,” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said in a written statement. “We’ve been good friends for a long time and his extensive experience, perspective and ability to develop and recruit players will have an immediate impact on our program.”

Ferry also served as the head coach at LIU Brooklyn for 10 years, leading the program to back-to-back NCAA tournaments in 2011 and 2012.

Ferry is familiar with Penn State freshman guard Jamari Wheeler, who signed to play for him at Duquesne last November.

“Through the years as competitors and friends, I have watched how Coach Chambers and his staff have built this program up,” Ferry said. “It’s an exciting time for Penn State basketball and to be able to contribute to the success is something I am really looking forward to.”

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Former Duquesne coach Jim Ferry joins Penn State men’s basketball staff."