As Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 reported Wednesday, May 8, Penn State men’s basketball, led by head coach Mike Rhoades, will hire former Rice head coach Scott Pera as the Nittany Lions’ general manager.
This strategic move is the latest in a large wave of college programs—football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball, most notably—hiring someone to serve as a team general manager, a role that used to be exclusive to professional sports. These two coaches previously worked together at Rice from 2014 to 2017.
Penn State Basketball Hires Scott Pera as GM
Scott Pera brings substantial credentials to his new role, having accumulated valuable experience across multiple levels of basketball.
As Goodman reported on X, Pera is notably a Penn State graduate, so he will be familiar with University Park, Pennsylvania.
Penn State coach Mike Rhoades is expected to hire former Rice head coach Scott Pera as his general manager, source told @TheFieldOf68.
Pera worked for Rhoades at Rice and is also a Penn State grad.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 8, 2025
His seven years as Rice’s head coach produced a 96-127 record, highlighted by back-to-back postseason appearances in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, the Owls’ first consecutive postseason berths since 2004-2005.
Pera has an impressive coaching history with Arizona State and Penn positions that demonstrate enough diversity and basketball intelligence to give the Nittany Lions a boost.
Pera’s experience, coupled with a path that started with high school coaching and progressed to college assistant roles, serves him well in his latest job at Rice, where Pera led the program to consecutive 15-win seasons while facing challenging circumstances.
How Scott Pera Can Change the Nittany Lions’ Culture
Rhoades’ decision to bring Pera aboard comes as he continues reshaping Penn State basketball in his image. Since taking the helm in 2023, Rhoades has already made significant strides setting offensive records and securing the highest ranked recruiting class in program history which signals the program is on the rise.
While Rhoades will continue to oversee coaching and recruiting, Pera’s considerable experience in player development and program building makes him the ideal candidate to take some of the day-to-day operational responsibility and thus best complement Rhoades.
The timing of this hire demonstrates Rhoades’ commitment to building a sustainable program and not patching up issues with a quick fix.
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By bringing Pera onto his staff, Rhoades will now have a trusted colleague with head coaching experience who understands his philosophy and vision, while potentially establishing continuity and stability that Penn State basketball will benefit from in the future.
Pera’s hiring means more than just adding another staff member. It reflects a tactical improvement in Penn State’s basketball infrastructure, and the college athletic landscape is only becoming tougher. With Rhoades and Pera together again, Nittany Lions fans have some hope about what lies ahead as the program approaches the 2025-26 season.
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