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Everhart staying at Duquesne after interviewing for Penn State job
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Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart.
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Duquesne's Ron Everhart withdrew his name Thursday from the Penn State men's basketball coaching search.
He broke the news to the Dukes during a team meeting on campus.
"I really appreciate the Penn State opportunity, and I appreciate the process," Everhart said. "But, at the same time, it's awful difficult to leave a place and a program you have worked so hard to put your stamp on.
"I think, from a coaching standpoint, I have been able to do that at Duquesne."
Everhart, 49, has led Duquesne to four winning seasons in five years, an 83-74 record and an appearance in the Atlantic 10 Conference championship game.
He has three years remaining on a contract that pays him $400,000 per season.
"We have a great group of kids coming back, and I just didn't want to walk away from them," Everhart said. "Plus, we have great fans and great support."
Everhart interviewed for the Nittany Lions' coaching vacancy Tuesday.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter, a Pittsburgh native, and Boston University's Pat Chambers, also met with Penn State athletic director Tim Curley this week.
Sources said that Chambers, a former Villanova assistant, is the front-runner to replace Ed DeChellis, a Monaca native who unexpectedly resigned as Penn State's coach last week to take the same job at Navy.
Penn State finished 19-15 thislast season and lost to Temple, 66-64, on a last-second shot in the NCAA tournament.
Chambers, a Radnor, Pa., native, guided the Terriers to the NCAA tournament after they captured the America East championship in his second year as coach. He is 42-28 overall.
Jeter, 101-89 with one NCAA berth in six seasons at UW-Milwaukee, is a former Wisconsin assistant.
First Published June 2, 2011 11:17 pm
