May 18, 2015 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
On the heels of a highly successful first week of six stops, Penn State football coach James Franklin will be joined by three more head coaches this week as Penn State Coaches Caravan continues for its last six events.
The Penn State Coaches Caravan resumes its tour Tuesday, May 19 when the customized coach will roll out of Happy Valley for a lunch event in Center City Philadelphia and an evening reception in Langhorne, Franklin's hometown.
Russ Rose (women's volleyball) and Cael Sanderson (wrestling) will join Franklin for all six events this week, which conclude Thursday in the Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre. Nittany Lion basketball coach Patrick Chambers will participate in Tuesday's and Wednesday's events in metro Philadelphia, New York City and northern New Jersey. Chambers is a native of Newtown Square, a Philadelphia suburb.
In addition to the four head coaches, three assistant football coaches will attend Coaches Caravan events this week. Josh Gattis and Sean Spencer are scheduled to attend Tuesday's reception in Bucks County and Ricky Rahne is scheduled to attend events in northern New Jersey and Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. (See below for list of dates and coaches confirmed to attend).
Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour also is scheduled to attend all six Coaches Caravan events this week to discuss Penn State's academic and athletic successes in 2014-15 and her short and long term goals for Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics.
Penn State Coaches Caravan registration can be found at: alumni.psu.edu/coachescaravan. As a benefit of membership, Penn State Alumni Association and Nittany Lion Club members began signing up for Coaches Caravan events at a reduced rate in late March, with public registration one week later.
More than 1,300 Penn State alumni and fans attended the first week of the Penn State Coaches Caravan and more than 1,400 are registered for this week. Advance registration is required for all events on the Coaches Caravan, which is jointly sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Nittany Lion Club. This is the fourth edition of the Penn State Coaches Caravan, which is making stops at Nittany Nation strongholds across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic.
Each of the Coaches Caravan events will feature an opportunity to meet Franklin and the other Nittany Lion head coaches during the lunch or evening receptions prior to the programs. The second-year football head coach will meet with alumni and fans and talk about his first season as head coach, preparations for the 2015 campaign and vision for Penn State football, as well as how all Penn State alumni and fans can help build on Penn State football's tradition of excellence.
Franklin will be joined by head coaches who have helped champion Penn State's "One Team" philosophy, with the 31 varsity teams, Intercollegiate Athletics, 24 campuses, communities and constituencies all playing a role in the Nittany Lions' academic and athletic success. Penn State has captured 19 Big Ten Championships and five NCAA titles since Sept. 2012, while earning an NCAA student-athlete Graduation Rate of 89 percent. During the 2014 fall semester, a school record 500 Penn State student-athletes earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average, with a record 241 garnering Dean's List honors by posting a GPA of 3.50 or higher.
The 2015 Coaches Caravan schedule of events, locations and coaches scheduled to attend (subject to change):
May 19 Philadelphia/Hyatt at the Bellevue; Center City (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Patrick Chambers, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson
Philadelphia/Sheraton Bucks County Hotel; Langhorne (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Patrick Chambers, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson, Josh Gattis, Sean Spencer
May 20 New York City/Edison Ballroom (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Patrick Chambers, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson
Northern New Jersey/Hilton; Parsippany (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Patrick Chambers, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson, Ricky Rahne
May 21 Lehigh Valley/Holiday Inn, Allentown -- I-78; Breinigsville (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson
Wilkes-Barre/The F.M. Kirby Center (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson, Ricky Rahne
For the fourth consecutive year, Fullington Tours will provide a customized coach to transport all the Coaches Caravan participants throughout the 12-stop tour.
Fans can follow the Penn State Alumni Association (@PennStateAlums or @PSUFBLetter), Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) and the Nittany Lion Club (@NittanyLionClub) on Twitter.