(Written: June 2012)
Forrest Perkins was named head football coach at UW-Whitewater in 1956, the start of what became the longest coaching tenure in UW-Whitewater history. Over the next 29 years, Perkins’ teams won 11 conference titles, with his 1966 team finishing second in the NAIA championship. His career record at UW-Whitewater was 190-88-8, including 149-58-5 in WIAC play. When he retired as head football coach in 1984, he ranked second among active NCAA Division III coaches, in terms of victories, and he had won more football games than any coach in WIAC history. He was named NAIA Football Coach of the Year in 1966 and NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1966, 1967 and 1978.
Perkins also coached baseball at UW-Whitewater from 1960-65, with his squads winning two WIAC titles. His 1965 team advanced to the NAIA national tournament, a first in school history, finishing fifth. He also started the men’s track & field program, coaching the team for the 1956 and 1957 seasons.
Perkins served as the UW-Whitewater men’s athletics director from 1971-83, and the institution’s football stadium was renamed for Perkins in 1996.
Perkins has been inducted into the UW-Platteville Hall of Fame as an alumnus, and the NAIA District 14, the UW-Whitewater and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association halls of fame.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from UW-Platteville and master’s degree from UW-Madison. Perkins resides in Whitewater, Wis.
(Perkins passed away in December 2014)