Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced on Wednesday that Jon Perry has been named the 20th head men’s basketball coach at the Naval Academy. Perry will succeed his mentor, Ed DeChellis, who retired on March 19 after 14 seasons at the Naval Academy.
“I am confident our team will be a top contender for the league championship next season,” said Gladchuk. “All the pieces are in place and our athletes truly believe in each other and the staff. Hiring a new head coach from the outside will cause significant disruption and continuity is the formula to capitalize on the pieces that are now in place. The unanimous support for Jon rings throughout the team and I want to give them the opportunity to lead Navy to March Madness next spring. At season’s end, my successor as athletic director can evaluate our anticipated success and then make decisions that will continue to advance our ambitions for Navy basketball. But going into next season, program stability is clearly the formula for Navy basketball to be a championship contender.”
“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the next head men’s basketball coach at the United States Naval Academy,” said Perry. “I would like to thank Chet Gladchuk for believing in me and trusting me with the program. I’d also like to thank Coach DeChellis for his mentorship and guidance over the last 28 years. Finally, I’d like to thank my wife Stacey for her unwavering support and partnership. We are thrilled that we get to continue raising our daughters in this special community. The Naval Academy’s rich history and tradition make it a special place. It’s an elite institution, and what we do here goes far beyond basketball. Our staff is committed to helping the young men in our program be prepared to lead, ready to serve and built to win. I can’t wait to get back to work!”
“Congratulations to the Naval Academy on a great hire!,” said former Navy head coach Ed DeChellis who retired from the position last week. “Coach Perry played a crucial role in the success that we’ve had since the time that he arrived in Annapolis. I am excited to watch him lead the team in the years to come. Jon is the right hire for the moment, he understands what it takes to succeed at the Academy and will lead the program with enthusiasm, energy and class. Jon is a tireless worker who possesses all the morals and values you want in a head coach.”
Perry just completed his 12th season at the Naval Academy and has played a key role in the development of Navy’s offensive game plan, opponent scouting and film breakdown. Additionally, he has served as the recruiting coordinator and the head coach of the Navy developmental team.
Perry has also been responsible for player development for Navy’s perimeter players and the scheduling of nonconference opponents, while also overseeing compliance with NCAA rules for the program.
Over the last 5 years, Navy has been the second-best team in average finish for men’s basketball in the Patriot League Presidents Cup points which takes into account the regular season and conference tournament.
Navy has posted an 82-64 (.562) overall record and a 53-32 (.624) mark against Patriot League foes over the last five years, while also playing in the Patriot League Championship Game twice.
Navy finished in a tie for fourth place during the 2015-16 season when the Mids were 9-9 against league foes (19-14 overall), and then had a fourth-place finish in 2016-17 when they posted a 10-8 record in league play and were 16-16 against all opponents.
The team’s 2017-18 campaign saw the Mids reach the 20-win plateau (20-12) for the first time in 18 seasons and post a league record of 11-7. It marked Navy’s first appearance in the semifinal round of the league tournament since the Mids advanced to the championship game in 2001.
In 2020-21 the Mids compiled a 15-3 overall record and a 12-1 record during the Patriot League’s regular season. In addition to defeating Georgetown for the first time since the 1976-77 season, the Mids also earned the outright No. 1 seed in the league tournament for the first time since 1997. Navy’s hopes for a Patriot League championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament came crashing to a halt when two of its best players contracted COVID right before the start of the tournament.
The 2021-22 campaign saw Navy open the season with a victory at No. 25 Virginia. That win began a year which ended with a 21-11 overall record, a second-place finish in the Patriot League regular season with a 12-6 mark and the program’s first trip to the league tournament title game in 21 years.
The 2022-23 campaign ended with the Mids posting an overall record of 18-13 and tying for second place in the league with an 11-7 record.
This past year, Navy finished in a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings (10-8) and made it to the conference championship game.
Perry began his coaching career at his alma mater, East Tennessee State, joining Ed DeChellis‘ staff immediately after finishing his playing career in the spring of 2002. The Bucs tallied a 47-17 overall record, won a pair of Southern Conference division titles with a two-year record of 26-6 and won two conference tournament crowns. ETSU would advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of his two seasons losing each of those two games by three points. ETSU first lost an75-72 decision to No. 2 seed Wake Forest, then dropped an 80-77 decision to No. 4 seed Cincinnati.
After two seasons and earning a Master of Arts in sports management from ETSU, Perry joined DeChellis on his staff at Penn State.
His six-season tenure at the school was highlighted by the Nittany Lions winning the 2009 NIT title. Penn State posted an overall record of 27-11 that season to set a school record for the most victories in a year.
Perry left Penn State after the 2009-10 season to become an assistant coach at Quincy in Quincy, Ill. He was the lead assistant at the Division II school for three seasons, during which time the program compiled an overall record of 46-35. The Hawks won their division in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in his first season, after which he was elevated to associate head coach. His players garnered five all-conference accolades and one all-region honor in his three seasons at the school.
Perry played four seasons at East Tennessee State, during which time he obtained a Bachelor of Science in sport management in 2002. His teams posted a trio of winning seasons and compiled an overall record of 67-46. The Buccaneers also finished with an overall Southern Conference record of 41-23, won their division during his junior year and tied for the division title when he was a senior.
Perry, a native of Milton, W.Va., and his wife, Stacey, have two daughters, Charlotte and Josephine.
