June 1, 2007
Second-year head coach Herb Sendek has announced that the Arizona State men's basketball program has promoted former director of operations Scott Pera to assistant coach.
"With Archie Miller going back east to work at Ohio State, we will capitalize on the opportunity to promote Scott," says Coach Sendek of Pera. "Coach Pera has won state championships in both Pennsylivania and California, and is most certainly well networked in Southern California."
Pera's path is similar to that of current ASU Associate Head Coach Mark Phelps, who has been part of Coach Sendek's staff for 11 years. Phelps joined Coach Sendek's North Carolina State staff in 1996 as the Wolfpack Director of Operations after a successful high school coaching career in Virginia.
"This is an exciting time to be a part of Arizona State basketball," notes Pera, who coached incoming ASU McDonald's All-American James Harden at Artesia as well as current point guard Derek Glasser. "The transition from high school is always difficult, so the familiarity will be an advantage in working with James and as Derek progresses into his sophomore year. But I am looking forward to working with all of our terrific young players and learning from a great staff of experienced winners in Coach Sendek, Mark Phelps and Dedrique Taylor."
Miller, also a former operations director under Coach Sendek, joins the staff of Thad Matta, who is one of six former Herb Sendek assistants who is a current Division I head coach. Kent State's Jim Christian was a Miami assistant from 1994-96 as was current Miami head coach Charlie Coles. Larry Hunter of Western Carolina was a North Carolina State assistant from 2001-05, Ron Hunter of IUPUI was a Miami assistant in 1993-94, Matta was a Miami assistant in 1994-95 along with Xavier's Sean Miller, who was on the Miami staff under Sendek from 1994-96 and was a North Carolina State Assistant from 1996-2000. Coles, Sean Miller and Matta all led their teams to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Coach Pera was one of the most successful prep coaches in recent California and Pennsylvania history and originally joined the ASU staff in June of 2006 as the operations director.
He posted an 11-year record of 258-65 at Artesia (Calif.) and Annville Cleona (Pa.) high schools, as he led Artesia in Lakewood, Calif., to the state title in 2005-2006 with a 33-1 record. Artesia was ranked second in the nation by Sports Illustrated, sixth by USA Today and earned the top ranking from MaxPreps.com. He also has extensive administrative experience as both an athletic director and tournament director.
He was the Los Angeles Times and Long Beach Press Telegram Southern California Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2006, and the CIF Division III AA and SCIBCA Division III AA Coach of the Year those same seasons.
Pera graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Penn State in 1989 and led his prep teams to seven league championships, two CIF Southern Section Division III championships, three 30-win seasons, a 102-9 record in home games and a 38-12 mark in the playoffs.
While at Artesia, Pera taught history (2000-02) and physical education (2005-06) in addition to serving as the athletic director from 2002-05.
Prior to his arrival at Artesia, Pera coached Annville Cleona High School to the Pennsylvania state title with a 30-3 mark. He was the Lancaster/Lebanon League "PA Coach of the Year" in 1999 and won the same honor from the Lebanon Daily News. He taught sixth grade in Anville from 1995-2000 and at Palmyra from 1993-95. He also served as an assistant coach at Elizabethtown College from 1992-93.
His additional experience includes serving as the director of the Reebok Summer Classic West in Los Angeles (2005), working with the ABCD Camp in Teaneck (N.J.) in 2005, serving as an assistant coach with the Roundball Classic West squad in Chicago (2005 and 2006), directing the Double Pump Day Camps at Cal State Northridge (2002 and 2003), working as a co-director of the Pennsylvania/Maryland Shootout (1997-2000), coaching at the Adidas Superstar Camp in Atlanta (2004) and serving as a Gym Coordinator at the Double Pump Easter Tournament in Las Vegas (2003 and 2004) and the Best of Summer Tournament in Los Angeles (2003 and 2004).
Scott Pera BACKGROUND
EDUCATION: B.A. from Penn State in 1989.
COACHING EXPERIENCE: Overall record of 258-65 in 11 seasons as high school coach at Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) and Anville Cleona (Pa.)...Head Coach, Artesia High School in Lakewood, Calif., and went 33-1 in 2005-2006...also served as athletic director from 2002-05...coached at Annville Cleona High School in Annville, Pa., from 1995-2000 and at Palmyra High School in Palmyra, Pa., from 1993-95...assistant at Elizabethtown College from 1992-93.