Oct. 15, 2002
by Amanda Richardson * Host Communications
Getting his start as his father’s sideline sidekick, graduate assistantcoach Mark Perry feels he was born to coach football.
“At 10-years-old I wanted to coach,” said the UK alumnus. “My dad was my highschool coach. I grew up around it. When I was 10, I was going to practicesand breaking down film with my father.”
Like most young football players he had dreams of the NFL, but Perry heardhis true calling by watching his dad.
“I got to see how he worked with kids and see the impact he made in theirlives,” Perry said. “He taught me the value of hard work. He taught me tocare about a kid’s life off the field.
“It’s something that I’ve really desired to do for a long time.”
The roles of Perry and his father are now reversed. Retired after 20 yearsof coaching, Mark’s father, and his mother, often make the trip from Ohio towatch their son work with the Wildcat defense.
In Perry’s first season as a coach, he wants to pass down one of the mostimportant lessons he learned from his father – the value of hard work.
“No matter what ability you have, no matter what you’re doing, if you workhard, you have a chance at being successful,” Perry said. “If you’re in theright place and you’re lined up right, you have a chance.”
Perry coaches the safeties alongside assistant coach Larry Hoefer. Workingwith the defense is a change of pace for Perry, who gained most of hisfootball experience as a quarterback.
“I really never played much defense … so it’s a great opportunity for me tolearn that side of the game,” Perry said.
His experience as a quarterback, however, is not being wasted.
“Coaching is a lot like being quarterback,” Perry said. “You don’t get firedup, and you have to stay focused. You have to stay relaxed and be thatleader. You have to take everything in.”
The work ethic Perry hopes to instill in his players at Kentucky is evidentin his own football career. During his senior year at Lancaster (Ohio) HighSchool, he was an all-league and all-district selection after completing 108of 195 passes for 1,280 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Perry began his college career as the starting quarterback at Division IIIWilmington (Ohio) College. In his freshman season, Wilmington had a 5-5record as Perry completed 132 of 252 passes for 1,721 yards and 11touchdowns.
In 1997, he transferred to Kentucky and as a walk-on, became backupquarterback and the holder for placekicks.
During his career with the Wildcats, Perry saw considerable playing time withthe junior varsity team. Playing in all five games as a junior, he completed81 of 110 passes for 949 yards for six touchdowns.
One of Perry’s favorite collegiate memories was being awarded a scholarshiphis junior season. He also earned a varsity letter as a senior, was inductedinto UK’s “Society of Character” and was named to the SEC Academic HonorRoll.
With an undergraduate degree in kineisiolgy/health promotions, Perry is nowheaded toward a master’s degree in education while pursuing his coachingcareer. Last season he worked for the coaching staff at UK as anadministrative intern.
A recent graduate himself, Perry acknowledges the distinctions that comealong with being a young coach at your alma mater.
“There are some difficulties sometimes because you have to separate yourselffrom the guys you were friends with as a player. Some of the guys I playedwith for two years are now calling me Coach Perry … but I think theyrespect me.”
Perry feels the best way for him to earn the players’ trust and respect is bygaining as much knowledge as he can in order to offer accurate responses toplayers’ questions.
Perry already has learned a great deal about the difference in the mind-setof a defensive player and an offensive player.
“Defense is about intensity – it’s about effort,” Perry said. “Defense is tothe point that you learn it and then, you just have to go out there and workhard.
“(On the defensive side) you’re coaching effort a lot more than technique.”Now in his fourth season with the Kentucky football squad, Perry is confidentin this coaching staff and in the style of play they are bringing to thefield. With the Kentucky coaching staff having a wealth of National FootballLeague coaching experience, Perry feels this coaching staff can be a greatlearning tool.
“There’s something you can take from each coach,” Perry said. “When a playergoes on the field he will never be unprepared with this staff.”
And with the new system in place under the new coaching staff, Perrycontinues to see the changes in this year’s squad as the season wears on.
“They are playing more as a team than as an offense and a defense,” Perrysaid. “It’s great to see the players working together.”
Perry’s journey to coaching has come full circle – both beginning and endingon the sidelines.
“I always wanted my job to be something I enjoyed,” Perry said. “I wanted togo to work and be happy every day, and I think I’ve found that here.”
