Former Giants head coach Ray Perkins, who was at the helm for the drafting of Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor, died Wednesday morning at his home in Alabama at the age of 79.
Perkins’ coaching career is tied to two titans of the profession: He preceded Bill Parcells with the Giants and succeeded Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama in 1983.
Hiring Perkins in 1979 was the first major move by general manager George Young, who guided the Giants out of the dark days of losing and feuding and to their first two Super Bowl titles.
Young chose Perkins — whom he knew as a player with the Colts — over then-Dallas Cowboys assistant Dan Reeves, who was a popular choice at the time and hit it big as head coach of the Denver Broncos before eventually getting his shot to lead the Giants from 1993 to 1996.
“Ray Perkins,” Giants owner Wellington Mara said at the time, “is very impressive in an unimpressive way.”
Perkins was 23-34 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs in four seasons with the Giants before leaving for Alabama and handing off a team with top-flight assistants and ascending young talent to his defensive coordinator, Parcells. Perkins hired Bill Belichick and Romeo Crennel — both of whom are NFL head coaches in 2020 — as special teams coaches on his Giants staffs.
Signed through 1985 on an extension received after 1981 was the franchise’s first winning season since 1972, Perkins announced his plan to go to Alabama with three games remaining in the 1982 season and Giants ownership let him out of his contract.
Ray Perkins Getty Images“I am leaving the Giants with mixed emotions,” Perkins said at the time.
Perkins had dealt with heart issues the past couple years, according to AL.com. He most recently coached at Jones County Junior College in his native Mississippi in 2012-13.
Perkins was 32-15 with three bowl wins at Alabama before leaving his alma mater to return to the NFL as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1987 to 1990. He reconnected with Parcells as New England Patriots offensive coordinator from 1993 to 1996.
The SEC honored Perkins as one of its conference legends last season.
