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The defending EIVA champions added another 20-plus years of collegiate coaching experience to its staff.
Penn State announced earlier this week that it hired former Purdue Fort Wayne head coach Rock Perrotte to be an assistant coach.
“I am excited to welcome Rock to the Penn State Volleyball family,” coach Mark Pavlik said in a statement. “To be able to draw on his coaching and playing experience will add even more to the staff we have now. We look forward to his contributions to the program.”
Perrotte following an All-MIVA playing career with the Mastodons in the 1990s returned to the program as an assistant coach in 2002. Purdue Fort Wayne in Perrotte’s time as assistant coach twice reached the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament finals.
Perrotte was elevated to the head coach in 2016 – replacing retired Hall of Fame coach Arnie Ball.
The Mastodons in nine seasons with Perrotte at the helm accumulated 113 wins. Purdue Fort Wayne also advanced to the MIVA Tournament finals in 2022 and became the first No. 6 seed in the conference’s history to advance to the championship match.
Perrotte earlier this offseason opted to step down as the Purdue Fort Wayne head coach.
“I immensely look forward to this new chapter in my coaching career,” Perrotte said in a statement. “”I spent 28 unforgettable years at Purdue Fort Wayne, including 17 of them under the direct tutelage of legendary coach Arnie Ball. My appreciation, gratitude and love for him and his support all these years is unwavering and unconditional. Additionally, I want to thank all my former colleagues who assisted in my development as a coach.”
Penn State ended last season winning the EIVA championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years. Among the starters slated to return to the Nittany Lions next season includes All-American libero Ryan Merk and setter Michael Schwob.