Athletic Director Steve Bilsky has named Jerome Allen the next John R. Rockwell head coach of the men's basketball team.
The decision ends months of speculation about the coaching vacancy, which began after former coach Glen Miller was dismissed on December 14 fallowing 0-7 start to the season — their worst in program history. Under Allen’s guidance as interim coach, the team finished the 2009-10 season 6-22 overall, 5-9 in the Ivy league.
“Jerome’s talents and accomplishments in life are noteworthy and familiar to the Penn community,” Bilsky said to Penn Athletics. “What isn’t as well known, until you spend time with him, is the humility that coincides with his pride. It is the combination of these qualities, plus his vision to return Penn to glory, that makes me so pleased to name him the John R. Rockwell Head Coach of Men’s Basketball.”
Allen will be formally announced as the coach at a press conference at 2:30 Wednesday at the Palestra.
He was initially hired by the University in August 2009 to serve as an assistant coach under Miller. After taking over as interim head coach, Allen led Penn to a 6-15 mark.
The crowning achievement of his interim-period was an upset over then-No. 22 Cornell on Feb. 12 when the Quakers handed the Big Red their only Ivy loss of the season.
Additionally, Allen is one of the most famous names in Penn basketball history. During his playing career with the Quakers from 1991-1995, he led the program to three Ivy titles in his final three seasons. He earned two Ivy League Player of the year awards in his sophomore and junior seasons.
In addition to the accolades he earned during his collegiate career, Allen was inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 hall of fame in February 2009.
Upon leaving the Quakers in 1995, Allen was selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He spent two seasons with three teams in the NBA before heading to Europe, where he remained until he announced his retirement after the 2008-2009 season.
Allen graduated from Wharton in 2009 after completing the final requirements that he left unfinished when he left to pursue his career in the NBA in 1995.
A Philadelphia native, he went to high school atnearby Episcopal Academy where he took the Churchmen to four straight Inter-academic league titles.
Allen had received extensive support during the search for the next head coach as many players, recruits and alumni all endorsed him for the permanent position.
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