A strategic overhaul
Mike Rhoades is gearing up for his fourth season as head coach of Penn State basketball, a tenure marked by a 12‑20 record last year and a 3‑17 mark in Big Ten play. The program is looking to rebound after a disappointing campaign, and the coaching staff has been reshaped to bring fresh energy.
Brent Scott, who spent three years as an assistant, has been promoted to associate head coach. Known for his work with post players, Scott helped develop Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the Nittany Lions’ first first‑round NBA draft pick, and brings experience from stops at Rice, VCU, LSU and TCU.
The staff will also see departures: former associate head coach Jamal Brunt left for Syracuse to join Gerry McNamara’s staff, and Joe Crispin took a head‑coaching position at the Air Force Academy. In their place, Dwayne Stephens joins the bench alongside Talor Battle and Clay Conner, adding depth to the assistant roster.
Patrick Dorney, a former college teammate of Rhoades, has been elevated to chief of staff after serving as director of operations. Dorney’s background includes coaching stints at Collingswood High School and Arcadia University, and he brings a familiar connection to the program’s leadership.
The video and operations departments will be led by Sam Little, hired as video coordinator/player development, and Alex Grumer, who moves up to assistant director of operations. Little arrives from a series of coaching roles at Western Michigan, Stanford, Tarleton State, Arkansas and Prolific Prep, while Grumer, a Penn State alumnus from the Smeal College of Business, has spent three seasons as a student manager.
On the court, the Nittany Lions have added transfer‑portal talent such as Brant Byers, Roberts Blums and Jay Rodgers, while the only returning rotational player from last season is Ivan Jurić. New arrivals are expected on campus this weekend, and offseason workouts will commence next week as the team looks to build chemistry.
Looking ahead
With the new staff in place and a influx of fresh talent, Penn State hopes to translate its offseason activity into on‑court success. The upcoming season will be a test of whether these changes can lift the program out of the bottom tier of the Big Ten.