Penn State men’s basketball head coach Pat Chambers spoke at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting at the Penn Stater after the board approved his four-year contract extension Thursday.

He began by thanking Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, senior associate AD Lynn Holleran, and Penn State President Eric Barron for their support of his program and the faith they all showed in him throughout the 2017-18 season.

“This is incredible for men’s basketball to be with you all today,” he said. “I appreciate the Board in giving us the extension. My players are happy, my staff’s happy, my family’s happy, and my wife is very happy, so thank you.”

Chambers reviewed the roller coaster ride that was the 2017-18 season and embracing the team’s “Climb With Us” motto — nothing changed during his speech as he described how the Nittany Lions’ climb was anything but straightforward.

“At Penn State basketball, we use the slogan, we say, ‘We’re climbing,'” he said. “Sometimes that climb isn’t straight up, as we all know. Sometimes it’s left, sometimes it’s right, and sometimes you fall down.”

Despite the sideways nature of his team’s climb, Penn State ended up at the top of a mountain at the end. Chambers’ team put together one of the most successful seasons in program history, breaking 51 records and winning 26 games en route to a victory over Utah in the NIT championship game.

“In the end, we made it to 26 wins, second most in the history of Penn State basketball,” Chambers said. “We were able to break 51 records this year. These players really gave it their all. They really sacrificed and committed.”

Chambers’ audience loved his references to his team’s blowout victory over Pitt early in the season and three-game sweep of Ohio State. But he didn’t spend his entire time in front of the Board reminiscing over the good times, explaining that this is just the beginning for his team.

Mike Watkins, Lamar Stevens, and Josh Reaves are three key contributors from last season’s squad who will be back in Happy Valley for the 2018-19 season, and the team’s recruiting class is in the top 40 for college basketball. Chambers’ claim that his team is just getting started is a big one, especially considering the lofty expectations fans will now have for his team.

“I know what Penn Staters want,” Chambers said. “They want consistency. They want sustainability. They want success with honor. They want integrity, and I think that’s the group that we’ve put together moving forward.”

“Penn State basketball is back.”