"We are very excited with the direction Coach DeChellis has our men's basketball program heading and are pleased that he will continue to lead the program into the future," athletic director Tim Curley said. "Ed has energized the program and the Penn State basketball community and the team has made great strides in his first three years. We believe he and his staff have laid the ground work for continued success both on and off the court for years to come."
"I appreciate the contract extension and the confidence that (PSU president) Dr. Spanier and Tim have shown in me, my staff and the program," DeChellis said. "I'm proud of what our players are accomplishing on the floor and in the classroom. We have built a foundation for a program that will continue to grow as we work toward our goal of winning a Big Ten championship."
DeChellis is about to start his forth season with the Penn State basketball program. He was hired to replace Jerry Dunn in April of 2003 and signed a six-year contract at the time.
The Nittany Lions went a combined 16-42 in their first two seasons under DeChellis, winning just 4 of 32 Big Ten games in that span.
In 2005-06, however, the program showed marked improvement. PSU went 15-15 overall and 6-10 in the Big Ten. The Lions advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2001, losing to Rutgers in a first-round NIT game.
DeChellis' career record is 136-150. He coached seven seasons at East Tennessee State before returning to his alma mater to replace Dunn.
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