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Florida Gulf Coast hires Pat Chambers, 51, as next men's basketball coach before Eagles open postseason tournament

Men's College Basketball, Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, Penn State Nittany Lions

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Florida Gulf Coast has hired Pat Chambers as its men's basketball coach.

His hiring was announced Monday night, and FGCU planned to introduce him Tuesday at a news conference.

Chambers, 51, resigned from Penn State in October 2020 following an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct, including referencing a noose in conversation with a player during the 2018-19 season.

At FGCU, he replaces Michael Fly, who had the job for four seasons with a 55-59 record.

The Eagles are 21-11 this season, and Fly is expected to coach FGCU in The Basketball Classic postseason tournament. FGCU hosts Detroit Mercy in the opening round on Wednesday.

Chambers went 148-150 in nine seasons at Penn State. He also coached Boston University for two seasons, including an NCAA tournament appearance in 2011. His career record is 190-178.

In 2013, under coach Andy Enfield, who would soon leave for USC, FGCU made a national name for itself in the NCAA tournament. A No. 15 seed playing in Philadelphia, the Eagles upset No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 7 seed San Diego State to advance to the Sweet 16. FGCU's run ended at the hands of No. 14 seed Florida in that third round. The Eagles, complete with some high-flying highlights during that run, earned the moniker "Dunk City."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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