TONY PERKINS

“Metro Legends Award”

Tony Perkins is the son of Larry and Carolyn Perkins and was raised in Rock Island, Illinois where he received various baseball honors at Rock Island Public High School.

After High School, Tony spent a year at Dickinson State College in North Dakota, where he played both football and baseball. After the year in North Dakota, Perkins transferred to Northeast Missouri State University where he played on the baseball team for three years and spent one year as a graduate assistant coach. He graduated from NMSU in 1984 with his BSE in physical education.

Perkins earned his masters in educational administration from the University of Missouri at St. Louis in 1996. After graduation, Tony took his first job at Brashear High School in Brashear, MO. At Brashear the baseball teams went 44-24 in 3 years under his guidance.

Following his Brashear experience, Perkins accepted a job in the Francis Howell School District where he coached the freshmen team for two years at Francis Howell North. From Francis Howell North, Tony accepted the varsity assistant job at Francis Howell High School. While an assistant under Terry Kasper, the Vikings earned three conference championships and two trips to the Final Four, where they finished 2nd in 1991 and 3rd in 1993. During the 1994-95 school year Perkins was named the head coach of the Francis Howell Vikings.

During his current 22 year reign, Perkins’ teams have garnered 14 conference titles, 11 district titles, 10 sectional championships, 8 quarterfinals championships, a 4th place finish in 1999, a 2nd place finish in state in 1997, a 2nd place finish in 2008, 2nd place in state 2014, and State Championships in 2003, 2011, 2013, and 2016. Perkins overall head coaching record is 501-225. He has sent approximately 135 players to the college ranks. He has coached 10 All Americans, 27 first team All-Staters and 21 first team all metro players.

In 1997, Perkins was voted the St. Louis Metropolitan Coach of the Year by a panel of his peers. He was also selected the Coach of the Year in 1997 by the St. Louis Major League Scouting Bureau. During the 1999, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2016 seasons  Perkins was voted Coach of the Year in the Gateway Athletic Conference by his fellow conference coaches.

Tony was selected by the BCA as the Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2013. This region covers 7 states. He, along with his assistants, Terry Oetting, Mike Janes, Justin Schmidt, and Rick Regina, have had the pleasure of coaching in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Series over the years.

Tony spoke at the MHSBCA clinic in 1999 on Howell’s evaluation process and also in 2003 on Promoting your Player and your Program. He also spoke in 2012 and 2014 at the MHSBCA, 2014 on Summer Choices and the Recruiting process. He also spoke at the National High School Baseball Coaches Clinic held in Chicago in 2008 on Practice Organization. He was elected and served as the President elect of the MHSBCA from 2000-2001, and served as President from 2001-2003.

Tony Perkins was inducted into the MHSBCA Hall of Fame in January of 2002. He was an associate scout for the Colorado Rockies from 1999-2001. In 2003 and 2011 he was named the Missouri Class 4 Coach of the Year and in 2013 and 2016 was the Class 5 Coach of the Year. In 2013, Tony was voted as the first Class 5 Coach of the year. He was also inducted into the St. Charles County Amateur Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2012, he was named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Company High School Division 5 Regional Coach of the Year. In 2015, Perkins was inducted into the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame. He was selected as the baseball coach of the year for 2015 by the Greater St. Louis Umpires Association

Perkins is currently the 2nd Vice President for the National Baseball Coaches Association. He has served on the baseball advisory board for the Missouri State High School Activities Association. In 2016, Tony was be inducted into the National High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, Big School National Coach of the year by the ABCA, the NFHS Midwest section Coach of the Year that encompasses 5 states, MSHSAA Coach of the year, and Class 5 Coach of the Year for the MHSBCA.

Perkins is married to the very understanding and supportive, Tracey Perkins, they have 4 boys, Zac, Nic, and twins Justin and Ryan.