April 18, 2013
Lucas espnW Blog | LadyLions.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion head coach Coquese Washington will be joining the 2013 Penn State Coaches Caravan on May 1 during stops in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Building on Penn State's "One Team" inaugural year momentum, highlighting the highly successful first season under football coach Bill O'Brien and looking ahead to 2013, the Penn State Coaches Caravan tour begins another road trip April 30 with visits to 12 locations during two weeks this spring.
Joining Washington and O'Brien at the May 1 events will be men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers and wrestling mentor Cael Sanderson. At each Coaches Caravan stop, Penn State alumni and fans will have the opportunity to hear from Coach O'Brien and at least one other head coach and ask questions about the Nittany Lions' nationally recognized 31-sport athletic program at a lunch or evening event.
O'Brien will headline the bus tour of many Penn State alumni strongholds across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. The 2012 Bear Bryant and Maxwell Football Club national Coach of the Year will participate in all 12 Coaches Caravan stops and will be joined by other head coaches at each event. The April 30 event in Reading and the May 7 stop in Williamsport are sold out.
Jointly sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Nittany Lion Club, Coaches Caravan registration is underway at www.alumni.psu.edu/coachescaravan and www.GoPSUsports.com. More than 2,600 Penn State alumni and fans signed up for Caravan stops during the first three weeks of registration, with the April 30 Penn State Berks event reaching capacity in four days. Advance registration is required for all Coaches Caravan events.
Washington was named WBCA Region 6 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after guiding the Lady Lions to their second-straight Big Ten regular season title with a 26-6 overall record and 14-2 mark in conference play. For her efforts, Washington was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second-straight season by the media. The Lady Lions have increased their Big Ten win total each of Washington's six campaigns. Additionally under Washington's tutelage, Penn State has claimed a Big Ten Player of the Year honor (Lucas) and seven All-Big Ten first team accolades (Alex Bentley-3; Lucas-2; Tyra Grant-2).
The 2013 Penn State Coaches Caravan events and coaches attending (subject to change):
April 30
Penn State Berks; Reading (lunch-SOLD OUT)
Coaches: Patrick Chambers, Bill O'Brien
Philadelphia (evening reception)
Coaches: Patrick Chambers, Bill O'Brien
May 1
Baltimore (lunch)
Coaches: Patrick Chambers, Bill O'Brien, Cael Sanderson, Coquese Washington
Washington, D.C. (evening reception)
Coaches: Patrick Chambers, Bill O'Brien, Cael Sanderson, Coquese Washington
May 2
Lancaster (lunch)
Coaches: Bill O'Brien, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson
Harrisburg/Camp Hill (evening reception)
Coaches: Bill O'Brien, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson
May 7
Penn College of Technology; Williamsport (lunch-SOLD OUT)
Coaches: Char Morett, Bill O'Brien, Mark Pavlik
Allentown/Breinigsville (evening reception)
Coaches: Char Morett, Bill O'Brien, Mark Pavlik
May 8
New York City (lunch)
Coaches: Patrick Chambers, Char Morett, Bill O'Brien, Mark Pavlik
Scranton (evening event)
Coaches: Patrick Chambers, Bill O'Brien, Mark Pavlik
May 9
Penn State DuBois (lunch)
Coaches: Bill O'Brien, Mark Pavlik
Pittsburgh (evening reception)
Coaches: Bill O'Brien, Mark Pavlik
For the second consecutive year, Fullington Tours will provide a customized coach to transport all the Coaches Caravan participants throughout the 12-stop tour.