Penn State Basketball: Nittany Lions Hire Scott Pera as General Manager

Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades has hired a former co-worker and old friend as his new general manager. Scott Pera, who succeeded Rhoades as the head coach at Rice University, joins the Nittany Lions as the program's first general manager.

According to Penn State, Pera will organize and develop "long-term roster management strategies," build NIL and fundraising networks and lead the program's scheduling process. Pera arrives at Penn State following seven seasons as the head coach at Rice. He is a Hershey, Pennsylvania, native who graduated from Penn State Harrisburg.

“We are really excited to have Scott Pera join our program as General Manager,” Rhoades in a statement. “Scott is well equipped to navigate the new landscape of college basketball and brings a wealth of experience, passion and leadership with him. He directly knows how I want to operate a program and develop our young men moving forward. It is great to bring Scott back home and work with him again. Please welcome Scott and his family to PSU.”

General manager is the fastest-growing job in college sports, as athletic departments seek administrators who can navigate roster management, contract negotiations, revenue sharing and the increased need for fundraising.

Rhoades previously hired former Bucknell coach Pat Flannery as the program's director of basketball initiatives. Pera's job will concentrate more on the front-office work of roster building, retention and funding.

“I am thrilled to be the new GM of Penn State Basketball,” Pera said in a statement. “To have this opportunity at my alma mater with one of my best friends is such a unique and awesome opportunity. I am looking forward to helping Coach Rhoades continue to grow this program as we navigate the constantly changing landscape of college basketball. I hope to assist him and the staff in a variety of ways to help them take Penn State back to the NCAA Tournament.”

Pera was Rhoades' associate head coach for three years at Rice from 2014-17. Their 2016 team won 23 games, the second-highest total in program history. Pera took over as Rice's head coach in 2017 after Rhoades left for VCU. Pera went 96-127 in seven seasons at Rice.

Prior to his time at Rice, Pera was an assistant coach at Penn for two years and at Arizona State for six. Pera also was a successful high school coach in Pennsylvania and California, where he coached James Harden at Artesia High.

Pera, 57, was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Penn State Harrisburg in 1989. He began his coaching career at Elizabethtown College and then coached high school basketball in central Pennsylvania. Pera Led Annville-Cleona to a 30-3 record and PIAA title in 1999.

Penn State went 16-15 last season (6-14 Big Ten) in Rhoades' second year as head coach.