Ben Kerr Joins WVU as Director of Player Personnel, Bringing Power 4 Pedigree and Deep Operational Experience
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia football is adding a familiar face to its leadership team, and head coach Rich Rodriguez isn’t hiding his excitement. Ben Kerr, who worked with Rodriguez during their time at Arizona, is now officially the Mountaineers’ director of player personnel - a key hire aimed at sharpening WVU’s edge in recruiting, scouting, and roster management.
“Ben is an outstanding addition to our football program in the areas of recruiting and player personnel,” Rodriguez said. “He brings years of proven administrative experience, especially at the Power 4 level. He’ll make an immediate impact working with our student-athletes.”
And Rodriguez has reason to be confident. Kerr’s résumé is loaded with high-level experience at some of the biggest brands in college football, most recently Penn State, where he spent the past seven years in a variety of roles that gave him a 360-degree view of what it takes to run a successful program behind the scenes.
A Strategic Role with Real Influence
At West Virginia, Kerr steps into a multifaceted role that puts him at the center of the Mountaineers' player acquisition and development strategy. He’ll be overseeing the program’s recruiting infrastructure - supervising the director of recruiting, on-campus recruiting, and the assistant directors for scouting - while also serving as a key conduit between the head coach and the personnel departments.
But Kerr’s responsibilities go deeper than just managing the recruiting calendar. He’ll be leading personnel meetings, coordinating scouting efforts, and managing the transfer portal - a critical piece of roster building in today’s college football landscape. He’ll also be responsible for identifying and communicating high-priority prospects to the coaching staff, as well as evaluating talent across the Big 12 to help WVU stay competitive in one of the nation's toughest conferences.
On top of that, Kerr will spearhead the weekly creation of advanced scouting reports during the season, analyze recruiting data to refine player acquisition strategies, and review every recruit file that comes through the program. He’ll also oversee the student assistant development program - helping shape the next wave of football operations professionals.
From Happy Valley to the Mountain State
Kerr arrives in Morgantown after a strong run at Penn State, where he climbed the administrative ladder and left a clear mark. From August 2019 to July 2025, he served as the Nittany Lions’ director of football administration, before taking over as director of football operations and eventually stepping in as interim chief of staff this past November.
At Penn State, Kerr was the engine behind the program’s day-to-day operations. He oversaw the football budget, handled contract logistics, coordinated bowl game operations, and served as the go-between for football and key university departments, including athletic administration, human resources, the ticket office, and even the Big Ten Conference.
He was also the facilities coordinator for the Lasch Football Center, where he helped plan future construction phases and worked closely with the head coach on long-term program and facility development. Kerr had a hand in everything from practice planning and video operations to travel logistics during the regular season and postseason.
A Career Built on Operational Excellence
Before his time in Happy Valley, Kerr worked under Rodriguez at Arizona, first as assistant director of football and recruiting operations in 2017, then as director of football operations in 2018. He also spent time at William & Mary in 2016 and got his start as a football operations intern at Penn State in 2015 and 2016.
Kerr holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Penn State (2012) and a master’s in sport management from Millersville (2015). His academic background, combined with his hands-on experience across multiple programs, gives him a unique blend of strategic vision and operational know-how.
The Bottom Line
This is more than just a back-office hire. In today’s college football world - where recruiting, roster management, and transfer portal navigation are as crucial as play-calling - someone like Ben Kerr can be a game-changer. He knows the terrain, understands the stakes, and brings a proven track record of building and sustaining high-level programs.
For West Virginia, it’s a move that signals intent - to compete, to evolve, and to build a foundation that can win in the Big 12 and beyond.