Penn State coach Pat Chambers resigns after investigation

• By Ralph D. Russo/AP

(State College) – Penn State’s Pat Chambers has resigned following an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct by the Nittany Lions’ basketball coach.

Chambers, 49, had been at the school for nine years and was coming off the team’s best season under his directions.

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said in a statement that assistant coach Jim Ferry was being elevated to interim coach for the coming season. NCAA basketball season starts Nov. 25.

Chambers was in the middle of a four-year contract with Penn State that runs through 2021-22 season. He was 148-150 with Penn State, including an NIT championship in 2018.

Penn State finished 21-10 record last season and was likely to earn an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2011 before the postseason was canceled because of the pandemic.

Earlier this year, former Penn State player Rasir Bolton, now at Iowa State, made allegations of inappropriate conduct by Chambers to ESPN’s “The Undefeated.”

Bolton said during a particularly difficult stretch for the team in January 2019, Chambers told him: “I want to loosen the noose that’s around your neck.”

Chambers apologized for the comment.

Penn State said in its statement new allegations surfaced shortly after the story and a review was conducted jointly by Penn State’s Affirmative Action and Athletics Integrity offices.