Former Alabama, Giants, Bucs coach Ray Perkins dies at 79

Former Alabama, Giants and Bucs head coach Ray Perkins has died at 79

Ray Perkins, a star wide receiver for Alabama who went on to coach the Crimson Tide and New York Giants, has died at the age of 79.

Perkins, who had heart troubles over the past few years, died at his home on Wednesday.

Perkins was a star receiver at Alabama in the 1960s. He went on to become coach of the New York Giants. He left New York to replace BearBryant as the Alabama coach following the 1982 season. He then left Alabama to return to the NFL in 1986, when he took the head coaching job in Tampa Bay.

He played professionally for the Baltimore Colts under coach Don Shula from 1967-71.

Per Al.com:

Perkins coached the Crimson Tide for four seasons from 1983-1986 and put together a record of 32-15-1 during that time, including a 3-0 record in bowl games. He eventually left Alabama following the 1986 season and signed a lucrative contract to take the head coaching job with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Before Perkins, a native of Petal, Miss. took the Alabama job following the 1982 season he was head coach of the New York Giants. Although he only had one winning season, he helped build the team that his successor, Bill Parcells, would win two Super Bowls with in 1986 and 1990. He hired future NFL head coaches Parcells, Bill Belicheck and Romeo Crennel as young assistants.

He was later head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arkansas State University. He has also coached for the Patriots, Browns, and Raiders.
From 1964-66 he was a wide receiver at Alabama. During this time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama compiled a 30-2-1 record, including two national championships and three SEC titles. As a senior, he was team captain, SEC Player of the Year, and All-American. He played in two Orange Bowls and one Sugar Bowl, and set records in both. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts and played five years there. He played in Super Bowl III in 1969 and Super Bowl V in 1971 when the Colts were Super Bowl champions.