Penn State's men's basketball program unveiled a series of staffing moves ahead of the 2026‑27 season, signaling a strategic reshuffle of its coaching and operations leadership.
A Strategic Shift in Coaching Philosophy
Brent Scott, a longtime assistant who has worked under head coach Mike Rhoades for a decade, was elevated to associate head coach. Scott brings a reputation for developing post players and forging international recruiting connections that span stops at VCU, Rice, TCU and LSU.
His promotion reflects the program's confidence in his ability to guide big men and to tap into talent pools beyond the United States.
In parallel, Sam Little joined the staff as video coordinator and player development specialist. Little arrives after stints at Western Michigan and Stanford, where he helped the Broncos to back‑to‑back MAC Tournament appearances and mentored a player who earned second‑team All‑MAC honors.
Alex Grumer, who began his Penn State career as a student manager, was promoted to assistant director of operations. In that role he supervised a team of student managers and contributed to practice logistics and travel coordination.
The administration also announced title changes for two other staff members. Patrick Dorney now serves as Chief of Staff, while Jake Szczecina has been named Director of Operations, further consolidating the program’s administrative structure.
These moves come as Penn State seeks to build on recent on‑court progress and to strengthen its recruiting pipeline ahead of the upcoming season.