Penn State trustee and alumnus Ira Lubert has made his name as an investor at Lubert-Adler real estate funds based in Philadelphia. With Penn State searching for a new long-term head football coach, however, Lubert is wading into the realm of intercollegiate athletics as a member of acting athletic director David Joyner's six-person search committee.
It's a commitment he's taking seriously as Joseph N. Distefano of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The onetime Nittany Lion wrestler, a 1973 graduate who is in his second term as a Penn State trustee, told me he's "dropping everything to help get this done right for the university. It’s important to get this back on track," given Penn State's half-million graduates, nearly 100,000 students, and tens of thousands of dependent jobs, Lubert said.
Penn State "got me started, and I really feel an obligation to give back. I’m working nonstop for the next three weeks trying to hire the right guy," Lubert said.
Lubert told Distefano his group's goal is to have a new coach in place at Penn State by Christmas, leaving just over three weeks to get the job done.
For more on Lubert's background, check out his trustee page on Penn State's website.