Former Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Ray Perkins has died.
Perkins died at home Wednesday morning at the age of 79, according to AL.com. Perkins had dealt with heart issues for the past couple years, according to the outlet.
Former University of Alabama football coach Ray Perkins died Wednesday morning in Tuscaloosa. https://t.co/1Hq7HkRVDy
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) December 9, 2020
Perkins spent 40 years coaching college and professional football. He is most known for his stints at Alabama and with the New York Giants. He preceded Bill Parcells when he became the head coach of the Giants and succeeded Bear Bryant at Alabama. (RELATED: Dallas Cowboys Strength And Conditioning Dies At 54)
Perkins coached Alabama from 1983-1986 and scored a record of 32-15-1, according to the outlet. He also managed a 3-0 record in bowl games. Perkins was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
Before he took the Alabama job, Perkins was 23-34 in the regular season and 1-1 with the New York Giants. Hiring Perkins led to the beginning of the end of a losing streak for the Giants at the time.
Perkins also spent time coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arkansas State University’s college football team.
It’s always sad to see a football legend go, but hopefully he’s finally in a good place. He’ll continued to be remembered as one of the greatest Alabama football coaches.