After reports surfaced on May 8, Penn State men’s basketball has welcomed the first general manager in its program’s history.
Scott Pera, a Hershey, Pennsylvania, native and 1989 Penn State Harrisburg graduate, has officially assumed the position, according to a release Tuesday. The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported the news earlier this month.
Pera has worked with Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades before, serving as an assistant on Rhoades’ staff at Rice from 2014-2017. Pera then took over as the Owls’ head coach and recorded a 96-127 record through seven seasons.
In the release, Penn State offered some clarity on Pera’s role. He’ll work on long-term roster and recruiting strategies, NIL, fundraising and scheduling for the program.
“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.”
Before Rice, Pera worked as an assistant at both Penn and Arizona State. He was also a highly successful high school head coach at Annville-Cleona in Pennsylvania and Artesia in California, the latter at which he coached NBA superstar James Harden.
“We are really excited to have Scott Pera join our program as General Manager,” Rhoades said. “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.”
- Sign up for PennLive’s Penn State newsletters, the daily Penn State Today and the subscriber-exclusive Penn State Insider
Listen to the Blue-White Breakdown podcast
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
