MSU Athletics Hall of Famer George Perles Passes Away

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan State head football coach, athletic director, football player and Board of Trustee member George Perles passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 7. He was 85 (1934-2020).

Perles, who was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, led the Spartan football program from 1983-94 and guided Michigan State to two Big Ten titles (1987 and 1990) and seven bowl appearances in his 12 seasons. Three of his teams finished among the nation's Top 25, including the 1987 Big Ten Championship team that ranked No. 8 in the final polls following a win over USC in the Rose Bowl. Perles tutored nine first-team All-Americans and 50 of his players were selected in the NFL Draft, including nine first-rounders.

A native of Detroit, Perles also spent 12 years as a member of the Michigan State Board of Trustees from 2007-18. In addition, he served as MSU Athletics Director from 1990-92, was a Spartan assistant coach from 1967-71, and lettered as a tackle in 1958.

An Army veteran, Perles received his bachelor's degree from Michigan State in 1960 and a master's degree in educational administration in 1961. He was often cited for his entrepreneurial leadership in public service activities and was especially known for his long-time association with the Special Olympics.

Perles also gained fame as the defensive architect of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. In 10 years under Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll, including the last three as assistant head coach, Perles molded a strong defense which played a major role in Pittsburgh's four Super Bowl championships (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979) and recognition as the "Team of the Decade" in the 1970s.

Perles saw his dream of becoming head coach of the MSU football program come true when he was named to the position on Dec. 3, 1982. He helped return his alma mater to national prominence with two bowl appearances in his first three seasons (1984 Cherry Bowl, 1985 All-American Bowl).

In 1987, Perles and the Spartans captured the Big Ten title and made the program's first Rose Bowl appearance since 1966. The Spartans topped USC, 20-17, ending the year at 9-2-1, the most victories by an MSU squad since 1966, along with a No. 8 national ranking. MSU went 7-0-1 in Big Ten play, one of only four unbeaten Big Ten seasons in Spartan history. His efforts that season earned him Football News' National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.

The Rose Bowl began a string of four straight bowl appearances which included triumphs in the 1989 Aloha and 1990 John Hancock Bowls. The Spartans went 6-1-1 in the Big Ten during the 1988 season to play on New Year's Day in the 1989 Gator Bowl against Georgia, and finished 8-4 (6-2 Big Ten) in 1989 to close at No. 16 in the national rankings after a win over Hawaii in the Aloha Bowl.

Perles captured his second Big Ten title in 1990 as the Spartans shared the league championship with a 6-2 league record. The Spartans went 8-3-1 overall to finish No. 16 in the AP rankings and won their final six games of the season, capped by a 17-16 win over USC in the John Hancock Bowl. MSU also beat top-ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor that season, 28-27. Michigan State was 25-5-2 in Big Ten games from 1987-90, including two conference championships.

Perles finished his Spartan coaching career with a 68-67-4 record. His impressive coaching tree during his time at Michigan State included Carl "Buck" Nystrom, Norm Parker, Nick Saban and Pat Shurmur.

Among Perles' nine first-round NFL Draft picks, two are in the College Football Hall of Fame: two-time All-American running back and Big Ten MVP Lorenzo White was inducted in 2019, and two-time All-American linebacker Percy Snow, the first college player ever to win the Butkus and Lombardi Awards in the same season, was inducted in 2013.

A graduate of Western High School in Detroit, Perles played football there under coach Ed Rutherford. Perles then served in the Army before enrolling at Michigan State and beginning his football career.

He earned a varsity letter playing for MSU Hall of Fame Coach Duffy Daugherty as a sophomore tackle with the Spartans in 1958, but sustained a knee injury in a game against Wisconsin, which ended his playing career. Perles went on to earn a bachelor's degree in 1960 and a master's degree in 1961, working with the Spartan freshman team as a student coach.

The first move in his coaching career took him to Chicago in 1961 where he became an assistant at St. Rita High School. The next year he returned to the Detroit area as head coach at St. Ambrose High, where in three years he built a team that turned in two undefeated seasons and won a pair of city championships.

Perles then joined the college ranks and became an assistant coach under former MSU assistant John McVay at Dayton for the 1965 and 1966 seasons. Daugherty brought Perles back to campus as an assistant in 1967, first as a defensive backfield coach and then in 1970 as defensive line coach.

After five seasons (1967-71) as an assistant in East Lansing, Perles headed to the Steelers in 1972 as a defensive line coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1978 and assistant head coach in 1979, winning four Super Bowls during his time in Pittsburgh. Perles was named the head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia Stars in 1982 and spent six months in that role prior to the league's inaugural season in 1983, but returned to MSU as head coach on Dec. 3, 1982.

Perles is also a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

In addition to his wife, Sally, Perles leaves behind four children, Kathy of Washington, Pa., Terry (Tracey) of Pittsburgh, John (Amy) of Grand Rapids and Pat (Karen) of Kansas City and six grandchildren.

Details of Perles' funeral service are pending.

REMEMBERING GEORGE PERLES:

Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman:

"Trustee Perles was a great advocate for Michigan State University, and a warm, dear friend. He loved the University with all his heart, serving in many different capacities. My thoughts are with Sally and the Perles family at this difficult time."

Michigan State Head Football Coach Mark Dantonio:

"Coach Perles exuded confidence, conviction and toughness. He really gave his life to Michigan State, all the way till the end.

"He welcomed me back to MSU when I first became the head coach here. Not many people have been in these shoes, but he was one of them, and was always extremely supportive every step of the way. He was someone you could lean on. Many times over the past 13 years he would speak to our team.

"George was one of the most renowned coaches in America; everybody knew who Coach Perles was and what he brought to the game. He had tremendous success, winning the Rose Bowl and two Big Ten titles, and developed countless NFL players. I first got to know his reputation when I was a graduate assistant at Ohio State. He always brought a blue-collar mentality and really we've embraced a lot of things in our program over the years that came from him. He left a legacy and was an impactful figure.

"George was a true Spartan and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Perles family during this difficult time."

Michigan State Head Men's Basketball Coach Tom Izzo:

"George Perles embraced me from the moment I arrived at Michigan State. He showed me what it meant to be a Spartan, and how to be loyal. Throughout my career, especially as I was getting started, he was one of the people I consulted on any major decision I had to make.

"Lupe and I send our deepest condolences to Sally and the entire Perles family. George is the truest Spartan I have ever met."

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