General | August 25, 2026
PHILADELPHIA – Rudy Fuller and Joshua LaRosa have each been promoted to Deputy Director of Athletics at the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at Penn, it was announced today by
Alanna Wren, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W'69 Director of Athletics and Recreation.
"Rudy and Josh have each played critical roles in the recruitment, hiring and onboarding of head coaches who are leading some of our flagship programs, and their impact extends well beyond those searches," Wren said. "Both are deeply committed to advancing our pursuit of competitive excellence while ensuring we continue to provide a first-class, holistic experience for our student-athletes. Their leadership and commitment to Penn Athletics will be instrumental as we continue to elevate our Division."
Fuller has nearly three decades of service to Penn Athletics, including the last nine years in athletic administration after 20 years as the James C. Gentle Head Men's Soccer Coach at Penn. He currently serves as the sport administrator for the football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's squash, and men's and women's tennis programs in addition to overseeing sports performance. He was Penn's Interim Director of Athletics and Recreation from March through July 2021.
As sport administrator, he has helped hire three head coaches, including Rick Santos (football), Fran McCaffery (men's basketball) and Rich Bonfiglio (men's tennis). Under his leadership, men's and women's squash have combined for the last three team national titles and the last two individual men's national titles. Men's basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and men's tennis qualified for NCAAs for just the second time in program history.
"I am incredibly grateful to Alanna for this opportunity and for the trust she has placed in Josh and me," Fuller said. "Her leadership sets the standard for everything we do, and I couldn't be prouder to support her vision for this department. Penn Athletics has been my home for nearly 30 years, and every single day I am inspired by the coaches and student-athletes I get to work alongside. Their dedication, competitiveness, and commitment to representing Penn with excellence are things I never take for granted. I am deeply committed to continuing to serve them at the highest level. The opportunity to help shape the future of Penn Athletics in the years ahead is one I don't take lightly, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation we have established."
LaRosa is in his tenth year at Penn and has served in numerous roles in the Division, beginning as the Assistant AD, Equipment and Licensing in 2017. He was elevated to Associate AD in 2021, serving three years overseeing both internal and external operations, and has spent the past three years as a Senior Associate AD. He currently serves as the sport administrator for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and men's and women's lacrosse.
He leads the Division's efforts to elevate the competitive success of all intercollegiate programs and guides DRIA's multi-year admissions and financial aid recruitment strategy. This past year, he has been instrumental in leading coach education and development to achieve greater competitive success and improving admissions and recruiting processes. As sport administrator, his teams have achieved high levels of success in men's basketball (NCAA Tournament in 2026) and men's soccer (Ivy League Champions in 2022, 2023, 2024, NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2024).
"I am honored to continue serving Penn in this capacity and excited about the opportunity ahead," LaRosa said. "We have outstanding coaches, staff and student-athletes who represent Penn at the highest level, and our responsibility is to ensure they have the resources, support and leadership to succeed. I look forward to working across the Division to strengthen our programs and advance a culture of sustained competitive excellence."
