George Perles

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George J. Perles was the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans football program 1983 to 1994. He compiled a 72-62-4(.540 record. Against Michigan State's three main rivals, the University of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, his career record was 4-8, 2-10 and 2-6 respectively.

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A Spartan player under Duffy Daugherty, Perles played only the 1958 season before his career was cut short by a knee injury. He later became a graduate assistant at Michigan State, an assistant coach at Dayton, before returning to MSU as a full-time assistant under Daugherty in 1967. In 1971, he moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he became the defensive line coach under head coach Chuck Noll and defensive coordinator Bud Carson. Perles remained on the Steelers' staff, ascending to defensive coordinator following Carson's departure in 1977, and later being named assistant head coach to Noll.

Perles' arrival at MSU in late 1982 was not without controversy. At the time, he had been named head coach of the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League, which had not yet played a game. Perles believed his contract allowed him to negotiate with other professional and college teams; Stars owner Myles Tannenbaum made a basic contract-law assertion that Perles' contract was, in fact, binding, and he needed the Stars' prior approval to seek any other positions in professional or college football.

The Stars immediately filed a breach of contract suit against both Perles and the university, obtaining an injunction which would have prevented Perles from coaching the Spartans. Michigan State made a substantial settlement payout to dispose of the suit, and Perles was allowed to begin work.

Michigan State went 23-22-1 in Perles' first four seasons in East Lansing, including losses in two low-level bowl games.

His best season came in 1987, when the team went 9-2-1, including a 20-17 Rose Bowl win against the University of Southern California.

After that season he used an offer to be the head coach of the NFL Green Bay Packers to get a long-term contract from Michigan State University^{[citation needed]}. Following the dalliance with the Packers, Perles' Spartans, picked in the top 10 in many preseason polls, started the 1988 season 0-4-1.

Later Perles used an offer from the New York Jets after the 1989 season to become athletic director in addition to head coach over the objections of John DiBiaggio, the president of Michigan State University at that time^{[citation needed]}. He used an alliance with Board of Trustees member Joel Ferguson to be named athletic director^{[citation needed]} (The AD position made vacant by the retirement of Doug Weaver).

Perles' worst year was the 0-11 1994 season, in which 5 games were forfeited due to NCAA sanctions imposed on his program. On the field, his worst season was 1991 (3-8), a season which kicked off with a 20-3 loss to Central Michigan University, the first of his two consecutive losses to the Chippewas.

Following his ascension to the athletic director position, Perles' record as football coach was 19-26-. He was removed as AD in November, 1991, and replaced by Merrily Dean Baker.

Perles was eventually dismissed by MSU President M. Peter Mcpherson before the 1994 season was finished. Perles later sued Michigan State University for breach of contract; the matter was later settled^{[citation needed]}.

Perles is now in charge of the Motor City Bowl, played in Detroit, which matches a team from the MAC against the final team in the Big Ten Conference to qualify for a bowl game. In 2006, he announced plans to run as a Democrat for a spot on the MSU Board of Trustees, and was nominated by the party at its August convention. He was elected to the Board of Trustees on Nov. 11, 2006, and the next day was quoted in newspapers as hoping to be "consulted" in the university's search for a new football coach. He is scheduled to officially be sworn in as a trustee on Jan. 1, 2007.

   Perles will be remebered as a copnservative coach who favored a strong running game and a prevent defense that his critics said prevented winning.  The low points of his coaching years were his poor record against Notre Dame and Michigan.  It should be remembered, however that those two teams have the best overall records in college football.  The highlight of his career were three victories over the University of Southern California.  While George is not among the truly great coaches he was better than most.  

[edit] External links

• Motor City Bowl Contact Page

Preceded by: Frank "Muddy" Waters

Michigan State Head Football Coach 1983–1994

Succeeded by: Nick Saban

Michigan State Spartans Head Football Coaches
Keep • Bernies • Denman • Macklin • Sommers • Gauthier • Clark • Barron • Young • Kipke • Crowley • Bachman • Munn • Daugherty • Stolz • Rogers • Waters • Perles • Saban • Williams • Watts • Smith