March 31, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Building on his mission to "Dominate The State," Penn State football coach James Franklinand several head coaches will embark on the Penn State Coaches Caravan tour in May, with stops in 17 locales. Thirteen of the 17 events will take place in Pennsylvania, including five on Penn State campuses, with additional stops in Baltimore, New Jersey, New York City and Washington, D.C.
The first set of head coaches participating in the Penn State Coaches Caravan have been confirmed, with Char Morett (field hockey), Russ Rose (women's volleyball), Cael Sanderson (wrestling), Erica Walsh (women's soccer) and Bob Warming(men's soccer) all scheduled to join Franklin at selected events. Additional head coaches and football assistant coaches also will attend Coaches Caravan events and will be announced in early April. (See below for list of dates and first set of coaches confirmed to attend).
Penn State Coaches Caravan registration is underway for the general public at www.alumni.psu.edu/coachescaravan and www.GoPSUsports.com. As a benefit of membership, Penn State Alumni Association and Nittany Lion Club members began signing up for Coaches Caravan events on March 24, with nearly 3,300 sign-ups over the past week. Advance registration is required for all events on the Penn State Coaches Caravan, which is jointly sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Nittany Lion Club.
The opening event during the first full week of the Penn State Coaches Caravan - the May 6 lunch at Penn State York - is sold out, where a crowd of more than 200 will be in attendance. The May 20 lunch at Williamsport's Pennsylvania College of Technology is sold out with 250 guests. Five of the Coaches Caravan events will be held on Penn State campuses, starting Thursday, May 1 with an evening reception at the new Pegula Ice Arena on the University Park campus. The Coaches Caravan also will stop at Penn State York (sold out); Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus (Uniontown); the Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport) and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.
Franklin is scheduled to participate in all 17 Coaches Caravan stops and will be joined by other Penn State head coaches on the tour of Nittany Nation strongholds across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic through May 22. At each event, Penn Staters will be treated to a message from the Nittany Lions' head coach and at least one other Penn State head coach and have the opportunity to ask questions about the Nittany Lions' nationally recognized 31-sport athletic department. Each stop will feature a meet and greet with Franklin and the other Nittany Lion head coaches during the lunch or evening receptions prior to the programs. Members of the Penn State football coaching staff also will attend selected events.
Rose and Warming are scheduled to join Franklin at the May 1 event in Pegula Ice Arena, which opened to rave reviews last October and is the home of the Penn State men's and women's hockey teams. Football assistant coaches Charles Huff, Brent Pry and Bob Shoopalso are scheduled to attend the State College event.
Sanderson and Walsh are scheduled to participate in all five Coaches Caravan events from May 13-15, which kicks off with a May 13 evening event in King of Prussia in suburban Philadelphia. The next night, Franklin, Sanderson and Walsh will attend the Penn State Alumni Association's Greater Scranton Chapter annual scholarship dinner. The May 14 event at Fiorelli Catering in Peckville, with the reception starting at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. The last two Scranton area events have drawn crowds of 900-plus.
Penn State field hockey coach Char Morett is scheduled to attend the two Philadelphia-area events, the May 13 evening reception in King of Prussia and the May 14 lunch in Center City Philadelphia.
In addition to Pry, Nittany Lion football assistant coaches Herb Hand, Charles Huff, Ricky Rahne, Bob Shoop, Terry Smith and Sean Spencerare confirmed to attend selected Penn State Coaches Caravan events. The complete schedule of events the football assistant coaches are attending also will be announced in early April.
The May 21 lunch event will be held in East Stroudsburg, Pa. at East Stroudsburg University, Franklin's alma mater.
Franklin's Nittany Lions are in the midst of spring practice, which culminates with the Blue-White Game presented by AAA at 1:30 p.m. on April 12. There is no admission or parking fee for the game.
During each of the Coaches Caravan events, Franklin will meet with alumni and fans and talk about his core values for the program, vision for Penn State football and preparations for the 2014 season, as well as how all Penn State alumni and fans can help build on Penn State football's tradition of excellence.
Franklin will be joined by head coaches who have helped champion Penn State's "One Team" philosophy, with the 31 varsity teams, athletics, 24 campuses, communities and constituencies all playing a role in the Nittany Lions' academic and athletic success. Penn State has captured seven Big Ten Championships and three NCAA titles thus far in 2013-14, with a conference-best 15 Big Ten crowns the past two years, while earning an NCAA Graduation Rate of 88 percent.
The 2014 Coaches Caravan schedule of events and locations:
May 1: State College/University Park-Pegula Ice Arena (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Russ Rose, Bob Warming, Charles Huff, Brent Pry, Bob Shoop
May 6: York/Penn State York (Lunch) - SOLD OUT
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
Hershey/Hershey Lodge (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
May 7: Baltimore/Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
Washington, D.C./Washington Marriott Wardman Park (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
May 8: Uniontown/Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
Pittsburgh/Sheraton Station Square (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
May 13: King of Prussia/Valley Forge Casino Resort (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Char Morett, Cael Sanderson, Erica Walsh
May 14: Philadelphia-Center City/The Rittenhouse (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Char Morett, Cael Sanderson, Erica Walsh
Scranton/Fiorelli Catering; Peckville (Dinner)
Coaches: James Franklin, Cael Sanderson, Erica Walsh
May 15: Northern New Jersey (Whippany)/Hanover Marriott (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, Cael Sanderson, Erica Walsh
New York City/Marriott New York Downtown (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Cael Sanderson, Erica Walsh, Herb Hand, Ricky Rahne
May 20: Williamsport/Pennsylvania College of Technology College (Lunch) - SOLD OUT
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
Wilkes-Barre/Genetti Hotel & Conference Center (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
May 21: East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg University (Lunch)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
Lehigh Valley/Sands Bethlehem Event Center (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, TBA
May 22: Erie/Penn State Erie, The Behrend College (Evening reception)
Coaches: James Franklin, Herb Hand, TBA
For the third consecutive year, Fullington Tours will provide a customized coach to transport all the Coaches Caravan participants throughout the 17-stop tour.
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