4.20
Sports
Coaching from off the field, off the sidelines, off the campus
With Ivy League sports on hold, two new head coaches—women’s volleyball and women’s soccer—are trying to navigate an unusual situation.
Grace Calhoun named ‘Game Changer’ by Sports Business Journal
Penn’s director of athletics and recreation is leading the NCAA Division I Council through the coronavirus pandemic and other complex issues.
Brodeur signs with German pro team
The future Penn Hall of Famer will join MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of Germany’s top-level easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga.
From coaching West Philly kids to the NBA
A student outreach project in West Philly and a timely internship helped launch Penn alum Taylor Jenkins’ NBA career as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Ivy League outlines intercollegiate athletics plans; no competition in fall semester
A decision on the remaining winter and spring sports competition calendar, and on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring, will be determined at a later date.
Jelani Williams is seizing the moment to protest systemic racism
Penn basketball guard Jelani Williams has been going to protests, making his voice heard on campus, and promoting messages of “love and respect.”
The business of sports without fans
Wharton professor Adi Wyner led a live, online panel discussion on the future of sports in a post-pandemic world, and how leagues are pivoting their plans and business models to move forward without fans in attendance.
Esports gets a lift during pandemic
The pandemic is hardly slowing down the growth of esports, and a new Wharton club aims to tap into the potential of the $1 billion industry for MBA students.
Mahama’s mighty throws gain All-American glory
Shining in the weight throw and shot put, the rising junior has been honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Akins caps stupendous career with All-American selection
The May Penn grad and track star was recently honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
In the News
How Penn coaches and staffers are playing a vital campus role while budgets get slashed
Among the unique circumstances that the pandemic has brought to campus, up to a third of Penn’s 200 full-time athletic staffers, including coaches, took on COVID-related duties during the fall semester to avoid being furloughed amid deep budget cuts.
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These Penn basketball players have stories worth telling, even as their season is called off
When the Ivy League canceled their season Thursday night, changing their year and the trajectory of their basketball careers, Kayla Padilla and Mark Jackson knew it was what was best for the team, as team players. Even off the court, they remain worth talking about.
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AOP Spotlight Series: Mike McLaughlin, Father Judge—Class of 1984
The former AOP student-athlete has guided Penn women’s basketball since 2009-10, leading the Quakers to four Ivy League titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
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Peggy Kowalski, who may have spent more hours in the Palestra than anybody ever, retires
For many of the last 38 years, as Penn Athletic’s director of special events, Kowalski has to be on the short list, maybe even at the top of it, for people who spent the most combined lifetime time at the Palestra and Franklin Field. Her earliest work days were as an undergrad selling tickets and answering to her boss who was also her father, and in honor of the two, the front lobby box office will be named the Donohue-Kowalski Box Office.
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Penn football coach Ray Priore talks about no fall season, hope for spring
Penn football coach Ray Priore was game planning up until this past Monday, hoping his team might play this fall. Then the announcement came Wednesday: no sports in the Ivy League this fall semester. Now Priore is balancing his optimism with an understanding of the obstacles the pandemic brings to his sport.
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