Mark Perry finally has a team improve!

[Two_on_one 121]

Congratulations to Mark Perry (and Jim Heffernan).  Illinois improved from 13th place in 2014 to 12th place in 2015.  This is the first time in Perry's coaching career where a team he has coached finished better at the NCAA's in a subsequent year.  Adding on to a previous thread, here is the summary of his 7 years of coaching.  

2008 Penn State before Perry - 3rd place at NCAA's

2009 Penn State - Perry's takes over practices at PSU - they drop to 17th place at NCAA's

Cael takes over in 2010.  PSU finishes 9,1,1,1,1,6 at NCAA's over the next 6 years.

2010 Cal Poly - Perry's first year of coaching at Cal Poly - 18th place at NCAA's only one graduating senior this year among the starters.

2011 Cal Poly - Perry's 2nd year at Cal Poly. Co-head coach - 30th place at NCAA's. They finished 6th out of 7th in Pac 10's. Finishing ahead of Cal State Fullerton. They did not have one returning NCAA point for 2012. Despite being hired as head coach for Cal Poly for 2012, Perry leaves to Illinois.

2012 Illinois Perry's first year at IU. Assoc Head Coach - 7th at NCAA's

2013 Illinois Perry's 2nd year at IU Assoc Head Coach - 9th at NCAA's (great returning team that was ranked 5th as late as January)

2014 Illinois Perry's 3rd year at IU Associate Head Coach - 13th at NCAAs (team was ranked 6th at beginning of season) Jesse Delgado single handedly scored the bulk of the team's points as he did in 2013.

2015  Illinois finishes in 12th place at Nationals, improving from 13th last year thanks mostly to super freshman and champion Isaiah Martinez.  

[Cletus_Tucker 890]

Jajajajajajajaja

 

 

+10

[BraunMann 6]

Isn't Perry the punk who sold out his uncle to go to Iowa?

[wrestlingnerd 2,999]

While funny, that's a disingenuous analysis of his coaching career so far. Perry was never anywhere long enough to really establish himself at a program until Illinois. It usually takes about 4-5 years for a new coach to start making his mark. This will sound like an excuse, I'm sure, but had Delgado not been injured so badly he had to miss most of the season and default out of NCAAs, Illinois would've shown very significant improvement.

 

I will say, the notion that Perry only seems to develop one guy at a time is fair, though. For now.

[AKHUNTER 316]

what it takes, at any level, to build a championship team is very hard time consuming work. Look at VT or Mizzou as examples        ( excellent coaches both). To build a championship caliber team at the D1 level is an enormous challenge.

I have no doubt Perry is a very good coach. But having been through the grind (tho not even at the D1 level) I know first hand he is just hitting his stride on the learning curve as a coach. Perry will certainly climb the ladder of coaching success. Rome wasn't built in a day.

[boconnell 1,623]

He is not the head coach.  He does not have responsibility for improving the team as a whole.  He should not receive the majority of the credit or blame for overall team performance.  When/if he gets a head coaching job one day we can start measuring his ability by NCAA team performance.  Until then you can see his limited impact on part of a team and take a guess at what kind of coach he might be.

[LordNelson 552]

I will say, the notion that Perry only seems to develop one guy at a time is fair, though. For now.

I remember when this board was littered with "Sammie isn't Head Coach Material" crap.

Plenty of D1 Programs that could use a fresh opportunity to reload and refresh their programs.

[Brutus81 4]

I have no axe to grind when it comes to Mark Perry one way or the other.

 

But I do think it's undeniable that he's one of the most promising young coaches out there.

 

I say that because of his ability to recruit and motivate.  And probably teaching technique, as well.

 

From the outside looking in, as a guy who's a little older, I would say he could use a little more maturity before an AD at a big-time program will entrust him with the reins, but that will come.

[JerseyJoey 25]

I am neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but what exactly is the evidence that Perry is "one of the most promosing young coaches out there." I hear this thrown around a lot. The OP's post was obviously tongue in cheek, but there is a little truth to it. I don't have any idea what kind of coach Perry is. Maybe he is awesome. But what exactly are we basing that on?

[Needles 1]

Perry seems to be a good young assistant coach and that's it at this point. Heffernan runs the show, and does so very well. Illinois staff is a very good one. Their program is solid and that is credit to Heffernan. VT and Missouri are model programs with great head coaches.

[CA_Wrestler 316]

Isn't Perry the punk who sold out his uncle to go to Iowa?

Why wouldn't he want to go somewhere else back then?  He thought his uncle was going to recruit him, but chose Johnny Hendricks instead at the same weight.

[Phil S 13]

It took him a while to beat Hendricks, but he did. Wrestling and coaching take different skill sets, some less gifted at either must work harder and smarter. Don't let the fact that he was only a "two timer", allows you to conclude that he can't develope as a great coach. It really is about how well you play the cards you are dealt.

[hammerlockthree 2,584]

he's overrated as a coach

[AnklePicker 643]

I thought it was cool that on flo's mic'd up piece on Perry he teaches a counter to what I call the spin counter to a single leg.  The one Gabe Dean likes to hit so much.  Well, Realbuto tries to use it against Martinez, Martinez does exactly what Perry taught him and he easily counters the counter for a TD.  

[AKHUNTER 316]

It took him a while to beat Hendricks, but he did. Wrestling and coaching take different skill sets, some less gifted at either must work harder and smarter. Don't let the fact that he was only a "two timer", allows you to conclude that he can't develope as a great coach. It really is about how well you play the cards you are dealt.

Phil............. for some reason I can't respond on here. shoot me your email addy and I will respond.

[Old_Marine_Wrestler 245]

he's overrated as a coach

I don't know if Perry is overrated as a coach, but Jeremy Hunter is certainly underrated as a coach.

[LordNelson 552]

he's overrated as a coach

Basis for this.......

[SEmixer 1]

Flo needs to do more vids on assts at Edinboro, PSU, etc. There guys doing alot more with alot less. Illinois is a big program and their Cali pipeline can be attributed to Tirapelle as well as Perry.  Flo made Perry more relevant than he should be. I'd like to see a Flo vid on Casey Cunningham, hell he trained w Slay to help him beat the unbeatable......

Edited March 25, 2015 by SEmixer