DES MOINES, Ia. (WTAJ) — With Penn State clinching their ticket to The Big Dance head coach Micah Shrewsberry faces a massive decision as he leads the Nittany Lions to their first March Madness appearance in over a decade.

Penn State is looking to return to the Sweet 16 and beyond this year, a feat that they’ve only done once since the 1950s. It’s been 22 years since the Nittany Lions upset second-seeded North Carolina to get them to the Sweet 16.

Shrewsbury, who is in just his second year at Penn State, has the weight on his shoulders as PSU looks to advance deep into the tournament. However, he said this year he had a different drive in him.

“I started parking in a different spot this year, the AD lot up there,” Shrewsberry said. “So every day when I walked by to the office, I’d see that picture. It was sitting there at the NCAA podium doing a press conference…. That drove me like I wanted I wanted that. I wanted that for our guys. I want that picture for our guys.”

That picture he was speaking of was taken 22 years ago, the last time the Nittany Lions made it to the Sweet 16. Penn State pulled off a huge upset against the second-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.

Shrewsberry has had his name floated around in the coaching carousel already, being tied to jobs at Georgetown and Notre Dame. That’s not on his mind at the moment though.

“The basketball season is going on. I’m completely tunnel vision on our team,” Shrewsberry said. “I’m happy to be here. Right. Nobody wanted me a few years ago. I’m happy to be here.”

So, to keep Shrewsberry will likely result in Penn State needing to invest, so will they? What if Penn State’s return to The Big Dance ends in a 1 and done?

“Absolutely. I’m committed to keeping our Mike is a great coach. Mike is a really, really, really good coach,” Pat Kraft, Penn State Athletic Director, said.

Kraft said that in December, a month the Nittany Lions went 5-0 in. However, it will likely take more than just a raise for Shrewsberry to stay in Happy Valley with commitments to facilities, NIL and coaching salaries being a part of the equation.

“It’s not just about paying the coach and the great coaches know that,” Kraft started. “It’s about keeping the staff. Being able to hire staff that if you lose staff, which is part of the process, it’s also about putting the infrastructure behind them to be successful.”

“You don’t want to lose momentum. You want to continue to gain. You want to continue to do things,” Shrewsberry said. “Whether this helps us in recruiting, whether this helps us in IL or marketing or whatever it may be, you have to build off of this. You know, because this is the excitement level right now.”