Football
- Title:
- Director of Recruiting
Preston Pehrson enters his third season on the Texas Tech football staff and first as Director of Player Personnel. He was previously the Director of Recruiting under head coach Matt Wells before earning his current promotion following the 2020 campaign.
In his role, Pehrson oversees Texas Tech’s entire recruiting operation where he coordinates the football program’s efforts in attracting potential student-athletes. Pehrson is instrumental in the initial evaluation process as he works closely with Wells on roster and scholarship management, while also directing Texas Tech’s summer recruiting camps and the student-athlete enrollment process.
Pehrson, who has an extensive background in recruiting, moved to Lubbock prior to the 2019 campaign following two seasons as the Director of Player Personnel at the University of Houston. He previously held the same title at Navy for roughly six months after serving as a recruiting coordinator for two full seasons with the Midshipmen.
Pehrson managed the entire recruiting process while at both Houston and Navy, organizing official and unofficial visits while also 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.
Georgia Tech was Pehrson’s second position at the collegiate level as he previously served as a graduate assistant at Lamar during its 2011 spring practices. He worked as the outside linebackers coach and assistant tight ends coach at Houston Christian High School in 2010 prior to his hire at Lamar. Pehrson broke into the coaching ranks after serving two internships at the United States Naval Academy in 2006 and again in 2009.
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 masters from Georgia Tech in building construction and facility management in 2014.
In between, 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. He and his wife, Kim, are parents to a daughter, Austin, and a son, Tuff.
