CBS coach Perkins is eager to teach
The texts were expected.
One doesn’t play for four seasons for the University of Colorado and then accept a coaching job a few years later at Colorado State without hearing a jab or two from a former teammate.
“You know, there was a little bit of ribbing,” said Anthony Perkins, the Rams’ new cornerbacks coach. “But people understand the business. People understand what it’s about. Obviously, I went to CU, and that was a great time, but for me now, I’m in Fort Collins, I get a chance to come home, be here with this great staff and I’m excited to be in Colorado.
“I’ll be a CU fan 364 days of the year, but for me to get a chance to be here at CSU with these great people and the great city of Fort Collins, it’s a great opportunity I can’t pass up.”
The job is a return home for Perkins and his wife, Janessa, who come back to Colorado with two children, one born since his hire by head coach Mike Bobo. Perkins attended Community Christian High School in Northglenn, but he played football for Northglenn High. He moved up the road to Boulder, becoming a four-year starter with the Buffs. Those are Colorado connections Bobo feels will help with in-state recruiting.
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted ways with the coaching staff after last season, Perkins said he had a lot of waiting around for the next opportunity, and the chance to bring his family back to Colorado was perfect. He was offered the job, the baby was born and the move began. He credited Janessa with doing most of the work, with the luxury of help from family and friends.
Perkins, with stops at Indiana State and Ohio also on his résumé, was on Bobo’s shortlist last year, and the same people who touted the young coach’s abilities were quick to call Bobo again when Eric Lewis departed for Boston College. Bobo is confident Perkins will grow a mostly young group he leads, impressed by the way he spoke in his interview.
“There’s a way that you’re going to do things as a coach, fundamentally,” Bobo said. “At the same time, you’ll change things a little bit depending on what a player can do. Those were some things we talked about in the interview. Yeah, I’m teaching this way, but if this kid can’t do it ... You have to be flexible. That’s the same way with me coaching quarterbacks all those years.
“You have hard, steadfast rules for certain things and techniques you’re going to do, but sometimes you have to tinker with those things to help your player be successful, and that’s what Anthony talked about.”
Perkins arrived Monday, met his players Tuesday and was on the practice field Thursday. His group consists of senior Anthony Hawkins, who is fighting an injury, a couple of sophomores, a junior in his second year at CSU and a handful of walk-ons. The group will add three true freshmen over the summer, as well as a junior college transfer.
The idea of being able to mold the group intrigues Perkins.
“When you have young guys, it’s really exciting because you know you should get a lot of time with them,” he said. “So you get a chance to really invest with them and hopefully mold them and grow them to where the finished product is really a long ways off. That part is really exciting.”
Rashad Ajayi started all 12 games last year as a true freshman, and Hawkins brings starting experience, too. While he has seen clips of what they did last year, Perkins said he’ll put most of his evaluation stock into what he sees during the 15 spring practices.
While past performance is valuable, Perkins is aiming at moving forward with what he sees develop. He called them new players, not just to him, but referring to a year of growth, with more time in the strength program and game experiences they can now reflect upon.
The fact he didn’t get much time to settle into his new job isn’t a detriment in that regard.
“I’ve only been here for four or five days, but every day I’ve met with them they’ve been awesome,” Perkins said. “They’ve been great, they’re hungry, they’re eager, they want to learn, they want to get better, they want to be coached, and that’s really all you can ask for as a coach. You want players who want to be better, and that’s what they’ve been, so it’s really been a lot of fun.”