Sources: Penn State associate head coach Jamal Brunt departing for Syracuse
Penn State men’s basketball is losing a second assistant coach this offseason.
Associate head coach Jamal Brunt is taking a job on the coaching staff at Syracuse, multiple sources told the Centre Daily Times on Thursday. Brunt has been a longtime assistant of head coach Mike Rhoades, joining his staff in 2018 at VCU and staying with him when they came to Penn State in 2023.
Brunt has been tasked with leading the team’s defense in his time at Penn State. The Nittany Lions struggled defensively this past season with limited personnel, but had defenses in the top third of the country, according to KenPom, in Brunt’s first two seasons on staff.
He’s the second assistant coach to leave this offseason after Joe Crispin took the head coach position at Air Force.
Rhoades and the Nittany Lions will also be facing a lot of roster turnover with guards Melih Tunca and Freddie Dilione V reportedly poised to enter the transfer portal when it opens April 7.
The team went 12-20 this past season and 3-17 in Big Ten play before getting bounced in the first round of the conference tournament. Syracuse was 15-17 overall and 6-12 in ACC play, before also seeing its season end in first round of the conference tournament.
Syracuse legend Gerry McNamara was introduced Tuesday as the Orange’s new head coach. He replaces Adrian Autry, who was fired after three seasons.
