Michael Perry has been named an assistant coach for the East Carolina men’s basketball program according to an announcement by third-year head coach Michael Schwartz.
Perry previously served as the radio color analyst for each ECU men’s basketball game for the last three seasons. The hire marks a return to the Pirates’ bench for Perry, who served as an assistant coach for East Carolina for 11 seasons including the 2017-18 season when he was the Pirates’ interim head coach for the team’s final 24 games.
“We are very fortunate to be able to add Mike Perry to our coaching staff,” Schwartz said. “He is a true professional that brings experience, relationships and a genuine passion for this university and program. Mike is a first-class human being that we are very excited to have back in our corner here at ECU.”
Prior to his 11 seasons on the coaching staff at ECU, Perry spent five years (2003-07) as the head coach at Georgia State after serving as an assistant coach to “Lefty” Driesell for five years. During his 10 years, Perry was a major catalyst in the growth of the basketball program and helped lead the transition from the Atlantic Sun Conference into the Colonial Athletic Association.
During his tenure at Georgia State, the Panthers won 165 games (an average of 16.5 per year) and advanced to postseason play twice. Perry helped guide the Panthers to the Atlantic Sun Conference title in 2001 and a NCAA Tournament First Round upset of Wisconsin. Georgia State received a bid to the NIT the following year.
With Perry on the bench, Georgia State won three regular season conference championships and one tournament title. He also coached the team to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history, while helping direct a trio of 20-win campaigns. Perry guided the Panthers to a 20-9 record during his first full season as head coach in 2003-04.
He was promoted from associate head coach to head coach on Jan. 3, 2003, when Driesell announced his retirement. He had joined the staff as an assistant with Driesell in 1997.
Perry began his coaching career at Virginia Union in 1985. He then moved to his alma mater, University of Richmond, in 1986 where he remained until joining Driesell at Georgia State in 1997.
Perry was a four-year letterman at Richmond and was elected to the Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He started in all 108 of the Spiders’ games from 1978-81. Perry was an all-conference player and honorable mention All-America. He averaged close to 20 points each season, including 22.8 points per game average as a senior. He was a 1981 draft pick of the Kansas City (now Sacramento) Kings.
Perry, a native of Richmond, Va., received his degree in real estate business from the University of Richmond. He and his wife Darlene have two daughters, Rashawna and Ashley, and one son, Michael Jr.
Perry named Assistant Basketball Coach at East Carolina
