University of Connecticut Athletics
Football
- Title:
- General Manager
- Email:
- football@uconn.edu
Preston Pehrson has joined head football coach Jim Mora’s staff as the Huskies’ new general manager, as announced on Monday. Pehrson comes to Storrs after spending three years at Texas Tech, where he was the director of player personnel during the 2021 season. The appointment is pending the successsful completion of the university's onboarding process.
Pehrson spent 2019-20 as the director of recruiting for Texas Tech.
“Preston possesses a relentless work ethic and has a variety of experiences and knowledge that will help to enhance and improve our recruiting operation,” Mora said. “This is a critical position for our program, and I know Preston is the right man for the job.”
During his time at Texas Tech, Pehrson oversaw the recruiting operation, and coordinated the football program’s efforts in attracting potential student-athletes. Pehrson was instrumental in the initial evaluation process and worked closely with Wells on roster and scholarship management, while also directing Texas Tech’s summer recruiting camps and the student-athlete enrollment process. He also was responsible for game day analytics.
Prior to his time with the Red Raiders, Pehrson served as the director of player personnel at the University of Houston. He held the same position at Navy for the previous six months, after spending two seasons as the recruiting coordinator in Annapolis.
As the director of player personnel at Navy and Houston, Pehrson managed the recruiting process which included, organizing official and unofficial visits and setting up weekly and monthly recruiting trips for the coaching staffs to visit and evaluate prospects. He was responsible for the outbound marketing efforts via social media for both schools to attract potential student-athletes.
Prior to moving into a personnel position, Pehrson spent four seasons at Georgia Tech, three as a graduate assistant coach and the other as an offensive quality control assistant. During this time, he was responsible for helping coach the offensive line, specifically the tackles. The Yellow Jackets were an impressive 33-21 during his four seasons, which featured four postseason appearances and a pair of bowl victories, including a 49-34 win over Mississippi State in the 2014 Capital One Orange Bowl.
Prior to his time in Atlanta, he was a graduate assistant at Lamar University in 2011 and he worked as the outside linebackers coach and assistant tight ends coach at Houston Christian High School during the 2010 season.
Pehrson attended Jacksonville University as a baseball student-athlete for two years before transferring to the University of Texas for one year. He finished his playing career at Towson where he earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management in 2009. He later received his master’s degree from Georgia Tech in building construction and facility management in 2014.
Pehrson was selected in the 47th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He played two seasons in the minor league system before joining the coaching profession.
Pehrson is the son of Dale Pehrson, who retired in 2018 after a 40-year coaching career at the collegiate level. Preston and his wife, Kim, are parents to a daughter, Austin, and a son, Tuff.
Coaching Career
| Years | University/Organization | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UConn | General Manager |
| 2021 | Texas Tech | Director of Player Personnel |
| 2019-20 | Texas Tech | Director of Recruiting |
| 2017-19 | University of Houston | Director of Player Personnel |
| 2017 | Navy | Director of Player Personnel |
| 2015-17 | Navy | Recruiting Coordinator |
| 2012-15 | Georgia Tech | Graduate Assistant |
| 2011-12 | Georgia Tech | Quality Control |
| 2011 | Lamar University | Graduate Assistant |
| 2010 | Houston Christian H.S. | Outside Linebackers Coach |
