State College, Pa. – June 4, 2001 – Penn State head basketball coach Jerry Dunn has named Rick Callahan, former associate head coach at South Carolina, as the Nittany Lions’ newest assistant coach.

Callahan recently completed his eighth season as a member of the South Carolina coaching staff with former USC head coach Eddie Fogler. Callahan was at South Carolina from 1993 through last year.

Heading into his third decade as an assistant coach, Callahan began his coaching career at Syracuse under long-time Orangemen mentor Jim Boeheim. He began as a graduate assistant in 1980 and was named an assistant in 1981. At Syracuse, he helped guide the Orangemen to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Callahan then moved on to Wichita State after his six year stint at Syracuse and teamed up with the man whom he would be associated with for the next 15 years. Callahan joined Eddie Fogler at Wichita State in 1987 and moved on to Vanderbilt with Fogler in 1990.

The duo helped guide Vanderbilt to post-season play in all four seasons that they were there and grabbed the 1993 Southeastern Conference title with a school best 28-6 record. From Nashville, Callahan made the jump to South Carolina with Fogler and is now set to begin his first season with Dunn and Penn State. In all, Callahan has been part of nine different NCAA Tournament teams.

"I’m very excited about Rick Callahan joining our staff," Dunn said. "He brings a wealth of experience and clout with him and is a high-energy guy who is well respected and connected in the world of college basketball. He comes with a track record of long-term commitment to the programs in which he has been involved with over the last 15 years."

"I’m excited to be here at Penn State," Callahan said. "I am looking forward to working with Jerry Dunn, whom I’ve known for some time now. He is one of the most respected up-and-coming young coaches in the country and I am looking forward to contributing to an already established program on the rise. I’m also glad to be a part of the Penn State athletics family and to have the chance to work with someone like Director of Athletics Tim Curley."

Callahan will round out the Penn State coaching staff, which was left one-short with the departure of long-time Dunn assistant Chuck Swenson in May. He joins current assistants Christian Appleman and Mike Boyd, who are both heading into their sixth seasons as assistant coaches at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a 21-12 season that saw them advance all the way to the NCAA’s Sweet 16. Penn State also made its second straight appearance in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.