Pat Chambers back as a head coach for Florida Gulf Coast, and he won’t forget the chance he got at La Salle

In the press conference introducing him as Florida Gulf Coast’s head men’s basketball coach, Pat Chambers didn’t wax poetic about La Salle athletic director Brian Baptiste and head coach Ashley Howard, to whom Chambers served as an assistant coach to this season.

“I have to thank La Salle,” Chambers said Tuesday. “Brian Baptiste, I hope you’re watching. Appreciate ya.”

Then, he paused, looking down at the podium. It was clear that he was getting emotional, doing his best to collect himself before speaking again.

“Ashley Howard, appreciate ya.”

There was another pause before he spoke again, choking back tears, the tightness in his throat making it clear just how much his time at La Salle meant to him after a volatile exit from his position as Penn State’s head coach in 2020.

Penn State had conducted “an internal investigation of new allegations of inappropriate conduct by Chambers.” The investigation came after former Penn State guard Rasir Bolton, who is Black, recalled to The Undefeated how in 2019 Chambers had told the player of being under pressure, “I want to loosen the noose that’s around your neck.” It impacted the reputation of Chambers, who is white, and raised questions over his appeal to other programs as he resigned after nine seasons at Penn State with a 148-150 record.

Chambers searched for a school that would accept him after a publicized fallout. Howard and Baptiste were key in getting Chambers back into coaching, putting him on La Salle’s staff as an assistant coach. Chambers initially joined as a volunteer special assistant to Howard, who like Chambers, was a former assistant coach for Jay Wright at Villanova.

As he began working at La Salle, Chambers told The Inquirer of his “obviously insensitive” comment to Bolton, “I failed as a leader. I was trying to help and I used the phrase that obviously was a swing and a miss.”

» READ MORE: Former Penn State basketball coach Patrick Chambers joins La Salle staff as a volunteer

The 51-year-old Chambers didn’t deliver a long, winding speech in Florida about how much it meant to him that La Salle gave him an opportunity to coach again — it didn’t need to be for that to be obvious.

“The staff and players at La Salle, I’m so grateful for you guys,” he said. “So grateful. You welcomed me with open arms, and I’ll never forget that.”

Addressing his four children at the press conference, Chambers spoke of the journey to getting back to head coaching: “What an 18 months. Four moves in 18 months, four moves. Talk about sacrifice and resilience, talk about sacrifice and resilience. I love you so much, letting your daddy live his dream and that means the world to me, so thank you.”

The Delaware County native spoke of how he feels prepared to take on head coaching duties once again.

“The last 18 months … [I] have been continuing to grow and educate and self-reflect,” Chambers stated to the FGCU players. “I’m confident that you, my next team, my players, my future players, you’ll be getting the best leader, best teacher, and best coach because I’ve learned a lot from my past. And I promise you that, I’m confident in that.”

Chambers continues to be supported by those at La Salle.

“Pat is a man of strong faith, a proven winner, and leader of men that is poised to take the Eagles basketball program to greater heights,” Baptiste said in a statement. “Without a doubt, I know he will attack each day with great enthusiasm and energy. He is driven to develop and empower the men within the program to become the greatest version of themselves as they grow into leaders of tomorrow on and off the court.”

Said Howard in a statement: “Coach Chambers is a dynamic leader who makes everyone around him better. I am grateful for Pat’s selfless contribution to our program this season and look forward to great things to come for him and the FGCU program.”