Penn State Basketball Expected to Hire Scott Pera as First General Manager

Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades is set to hire Scott Pera, former Rice head coach, as the program's first general manager, a newly created position. Pera, a Hershey, Pennsylvania native and Penn State Harrisburg graduate, previously worked under Rhoades at Rice before serving as head coach there from 2017 to 2024, compiling a 96-127 record. His extensive coaching background includes assistant roles at Penn, Arizona State, and high school coaching positions, including coaching James Harden at Artesia High School. The scope and responsibilities of the general manager role at Penn State have not yet been defined, but it aligns with a growing trend in college athletics to add such positions to manage increasingly complex roster and program needs. Penn State is coming off a 16-15 season and significant roster turnover, with Rhoades currently working with a largely new group of players. Athletic director Pat Kraft has expressed support for the general manager role, noting its potential importance for managing college sports complexities.