DeChellis defined by persistence:
“As he drove home from practice Wednesday night, Penn State coach Ed DeChellis chatted on his cell phone with a reporter. The signal cut out a couple of times, but DeChellis kept hitting the redial button.
“He’s persistent like that.
“Good thing. If his first 19 months on the job in Happy Valley are any indication, that trait will come in handy.
“The Nittany Lions won just nine games in DeChellis’ debut, and won’t do much better this season. A handful of players have bolted the program. In August, DeChellis needed emergency bladder surgery and missed out on coaching the Big Ten’s foreign tour team in Europe.
“Every time DeChellis plugs a hole in the dike, water squirts out someplace else. Not even a week into the season, point guard Ben Luber, who averaged 38 minutes a game last year, took a stress-related leave of absence.
“Two games later, shooting guard Marlon Smith went down with a twisted ankle. That forced the Lions to play with three freshmen on the perimeter.
” ‘I haven’t had the greatest luck,’ DeChellis said with a wry laugh. ‘But we’ve been able to work through it and get through it. So, that’s a positive.’
“Saturday, a blowout looms when Penn State (5-3) plays host to Pitt (6-0) at the Bryce Jordan Center. DeChellis is realistic about his team’s chances. …”