From student manager to associate head coach: Adam Fisher returning to Penn State men’s basketball
Penn State men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry has officially made the first addition to his staff — and he’s a Penn State alum and former student manager.
Adam Fisher, a 2006 grad who spent four seasons as a PSU basketball manager, will join the Nittany Lions as their associate head coach, the program announced Monday afternoon. Fisher spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach for Miami (Fla.). He also boasts previous experience with Villanova, Boston and Penn State.
“I am honored and beyond excited to be coming home to coach at my alma mater,” Fisher said in a written statement. “I want to thank Coach Shrewsberry for this amazing opportunity to be a part of his program from Day 1. His vision, passion and family values will quickly be apparent to the Penn State community and all of the alumni. The future of this program is in incredible hands with his leadership.”
Fisher, who hails from just outside of Philadelphia in Jamison (Bucks County), was the Nittany Lions’ director of player development in 2012. He moved to Miami soon thereafter, becoming the director of basketball operations before his promotion to assistant coach/offensive coordinator in May 2015.
Under Fisher’s guidance, the Hurricanes reached the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons as an assistant. He also helped them to three straight 20-win seasons, matching a program record, in addition to producing an NBA draft pick for three straight years. (From 2017 to 2019, only Miami and Duke could boast that draft success in the ACC.)
“When I was looking to find the right person to start my new staff, I wanted to find the perfect fit, and I found that perfect fit in Adam,” Shrewsberry said. “He is well liked, a hard worker and a family man. The more I talked to him, the more I noticed how our values aligned.
“He is also a loyal Penn Stater who will fight every day to help us be successful.”
Fisher began his career as a Penn State student manager for three years and a graduate manager for one. He then served as graduate manager under Jay Wright at Villanova from 2007 to 2009, before leaving to join then-future Nittany Lions coach Pat Chambers at Boston as the director of basketball operations. He had that gig until 2011, when he joined Chambers in Happy Valley.
Reports of Fisher’s recent hiring first surfaced Thursday, but the program declined to comment at that time. Instead, it made the news official in a Monday news release, highlighting Fisher’s success at Miami and noting he coached first-round selection Lonnie Walker IV, a Pennsylvania prospect who currently starts at shooting guard for the San Antonio Spurs.
Fisher graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. He earned his master’s degree in education leadership from Villanova in 2009.
