Mike Rhoades

Biography

Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Rhoades enters his fourth season leading Penn State in 2026–27. Hired on March 29, 2023 by Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft as the 15th head coach in program history, Rhoades owns more than two decades of head coaching experience and a proven track record of winning at every level. Across 22 seasons, he has compiled a 417–241 record (.634), seven NCAA Tournament appearances, and nine total postseason berths, establishing himself as one of the most respected program-builders in college basketball. Rhoades has made an immediate and measurable impact in Happy Valley. In just his second season (2024–25), he orchestrated the highest-scoring offense in Penn State history, with the Nittany Lions averaging a program-record 79.1 points per game. That season featured marquee victories, including a Big Ten-opening win over No. 8 Purdue—Penn State’s first top-10 win since 2019—and a statement road victory at No. 12 Wisconsin, the program’s highest-ranked road win since 2009. Rhoades notched his 400th career head coaching win in December 2024, a testament to his sustained excellence. Rhoades and his staff identified and developed Penn State’s first-ever first-round NBA Draft pick in Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who was selected 30th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2025 NBA Draft. Under Rhoades’ guidance, standout guard Ace Baldwin Jr. became a back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Play