Penn State's basketball program faces a looming dilemma. Coach Mike Rhoades' contract may prevent his dismissal despite repeated NCAA Tournament misses.
During his first two seasons with Penn State, Mike Rhoades’ program failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
PSU went 16-17 during the 2023-24 campaign and 16-15 last season.
The third time hasn't been the charm for the 53-year-old head coach. Penn State is 11-17 overall and 2-15 in Big Ten play before playing Iowa on Saturday.
Amid PSU's recent struggles, questions have been asked about Rhoades' status in State College.
Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Penn State isn't expected to fire Rhoades this spring because of the price of his contract. It could be an uncomfortable situation for the fan base and athletic department.
"Mike Rhoades arrived in State College in 2023 with three NCAA tournament trips in his previous five seasons at VCU," Borzello wrote. "Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions haven't come close to the tournament during his three seasons in the Big Ten.
"They're last in the conference this season, with a 2-15 record. When Rhoades was hired, he signed a seven-year contract with nearly $26 million guaranteed. There's still $15.4 million remaining on it."
Rhoades is 43-49 overall and 17-40 in Big Ten play during his three seasons with PSU.
While many in State College might prefer to move on, the contract will certainly complicate any firing, especially after the school fired football head coach James Franklin, who had a pricey buyout.
Rhoades hopes to make critical changes for the program in the offseason. He wants to bring in players with experience via the transfer portal, hoping an older roster can win more games.
Still, Rhoades recently told reporters he understands this season has not been good enough.
"So it's not good enough, and it's on me, man. I'm the coach. I'm the leader of this program," Rhoades said. "We got to find a way to keep getting better. We got to find a way to not have these first halves."
While he may be safe this offseason because of his contract, Rhoades will enter next season on the hot seat if he returns to State College. The team hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since the 2022-23 campaign.