Penn State basketball coach Pat Chambers resigns after internal investigation

Penn State Nittany Lions basketball coach Patrick Chambers resigned on Wednesday following an internal investigation stemming from a story published by The Undefeated in July. 

Assistant coach Jim Ferry will replace Chambers and serve as interim coach for the upcoming season. 

Iowa State guard Rasir Bolton, who transferred from the PSU program, told The Undefeated how Chambers had once referenced a noose during a conversation. 

"I want to be a stress reliever for you," Chambers allegedly told the player. "You can talk to me about anything. I need to get some of this pressure off you. I want to loosen the noose that’s around your neck." 

According to a Penn State statement shared by Jeff Borzello of ESPN, Chambers' resignation followed "an internal investigation of new allegations of inappropriate conduct by Chambers."

The school added: "The new allegations surfaced shortly after The Undefeated's article and a review was conducted jointly by Penn State's Affirmative Action and Athletics Integrity offices." 

A portion of a statement offered by Chambers reads: 

"I am so proud of all our program has accomplished these past nine years, and I will be forever grateful to the Penn State community for its ongoing support. Anyone who has ever coached -- especially at this level -- knows the exceptional amount of energy and focus it takes to deliver each and every day. This has been an incredibly difficult year for me and my family, and we are in need of a break to re-set and chart our path forward. So, I'm taking a step back to prepare myself for the next 20 years" 

Chambers became Penn State head coach ahead of the 2011-12 season, and he compiled a 148-150 record with the program and guided the Nittany Lions to the 2017-18 NIT Championship. PSU held a 21-10 record last March and was on the verge of making a first NCAA tournament appearance since the spring of 2011 until seasons were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.