UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s basketball associate head coach Jamal Brunt has been named a Top 100 Most Impactful High Major Assistant, as announced by Silver Waves Media Monday morning.
Brunt is in his third season as Penn State’s associate head coach in 2025-26. Brunt came to Happy Valley after serving on head coach Mike Rhoades’ staff at both VCU (2018-2023) and Randolph-Macon (2003-05), in addition to playing for Rhoades at Randolph-Macon. The Baltimore native also owns coaching experience at Miami (Fla.) and Richmond.
With Brunt on staff in 2024-25, the Nittany Lions earned two wins over top-15 ranked teams in #8 Purdue and #12 Wisconsin as Penn State earned its first top-10 win since 2019 and highest-ranked road win since 2009. The Penn State defense finished the season ranking second in the Big Ten in steals and third in turnovers forced per game under Brunt’s guidance. Brunt helped guide Ace Baldwin Jr. to his second-straight Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2025, as Baldwin Jr. became the first-ever Penn State player to win the award in back-to-back years. Brunt was instrumental in signing the highest-ranked recruit in program history in Kayden Mingo during the November 2024 signing period. Brunt and the Penn State staff were also responsible for identifying, recruiting and developing Penn State's first-ever first-round NBA Draft pick in Yanic Konan Niederhauser as the big man was selected with the 30th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers in June 2025.
Brunt helped lay a strong foundation during his first season at Penn State in 2023-24. As defensive coordinator, Brunt engineered a Penn State defense that led the Big Ten in steals per game (8.3), turnover margin (+3.6) and three-point percentage defense (30.3%) in 2023-24, while also mentoring 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin Jr. Brunt played a key role in Penn State making an immediate impact on the recruiting trail, helping to land a top-25 recruiting class in the staff’s first cycle at Penn State with the signing of four highly-touted prospects for the Class of 2028.
Brunt owns over 20 years of coaching experience with highly-successful stops at Penn State (2023-present), VCU (2018-23), Miami (Fla.) (2015-18), Richmond (2005-15) and Randolph Macon (2003-05). More information on Brunt’s coaching career can be found here.