Penn State Coaches Caravan 2015

GoPSUSports.com/UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Building on the success of his vision to “Dominate The State,” Penn State football coach James Franklin and five head coaches are set to begin the 12-stop Penn State Coaches Caravan tour this week.

The Penn State Coaches Caravan begins another tour Tuesday, May 5 when the customized coach will roll out of Happy Valley for a lunch event in Harrisburg and an evening reception in Lancaster.

In addition to the six head coaches, eight assistant football coaches will attend various events during the Penn State Coaches Caravan from May 5-7 and 19-21. Eight of the 12 Caravan events will take place in Pennsylvania, with additional stops in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. (May 6) and New York City and New Jersey (May 20).

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 2,500 Penn State alumni and fans have registered for the Penn State Coaches Caravan. 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.

Franklin is scheduled to participate in all 12 Coaches Caravan stops and will be joined at various events by head coaches Patrick Chambers (men’s basketball), Guy Gadowsky (men’s hockey), Russ Rose (women’s volleyball), Denise St. Pierre (women’s golf) and Cael Sanderson (wrestling). (See below for list of dates and coaches confirmed to attend).

Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour also is scheduled to attend at least 10 of the 12 Coaches Caravan events.

In addition to the head coaches, eight assistant football coaches also are scheduled to attend Penn State Coaches Caravan events:

Assistant Football Coaches attending Penn State Coaches Caravan events (subject to change) May 5 – Lancaster — John Donovan, Brent Pry
May 6 – Baltimore — Charles Huff, Sean Spencer
May 7 – Pittsburgh — Bob Shoop, Terry M. Smith
May 19 – Philadelphia — Josh Gattis, Sean Spencer
May 19 – Bucks County — Josh Gattis, Sean Spencer
May 20 – Morris County (N.J.) — Ricky Rahne
May 21 – Wilkes-Barre — Ricky Rahne

Jointly sponsored by the Nittany Lion Club and Penn State Alumni Association, this will be the fourth edition of the Penn State Coaches Caravan, which will make 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.

The Coaches Caravan customized coach will roll out of Happy Valley with Franklin, Gadowsky and St. Pierre on May 5, with stops in Harrisburg (lunch) and Lancaster (evening reception). The first week continues with stops in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore (May 6) and Altoona and Pittsburgh (May 7).

The second week begins May 19, as Chambers, Rose and Sanderson join the Caravan for lunch in Center City Philadelphia and an evening reception in Franklin’s hometown of Langhorne in Bucks County. Chambers is from Newtown Square, also a Philadelphia suburb. The Coaches Caravan will then visit New York City and Northern New Jersey (May 20) and conclude in the Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre on May 21.

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 5 Harrisburg/Best Western Premier (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Guy Gadowsky, Denise St. Pierre
Lancaster/Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Guy Gadowsky, Denise St. Pierre, John Donovan, Brent Pry

May 6 Washington, D.C./J.W. Marriott Washington, D.C. (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Guy Gadowsky, Denise St. Pierre
Baltimore/Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport; Linthicum Heights (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Guy Gadowsky, Denise St. Pierre, Charles Huff,
Sean Spencer

May 7 Altoona/Lakemont Park Casino (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Guy Gadowsky, Denise St. Pierre
Pittsburgh/Doubletree by Hilton Cranberry (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Guy Gadowsky, Bob Shoop, Terry M. Smith

May 19 Philadelphia/Hyatt at the Bellevue; Center City (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Patrick Chambers, Russ Rose, Cael Sanderson, Josh Gattis, Sean Spencer
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.