Former longtime Saint James School football coach Jimmy Perry passes away

Saint James Football Coach Jimmy Perry/Source: Saint James School

Former longtime Saint James School head football coach Jimmy Perry has passed away. He was 68 years old.

Saint James School announced his passing on social media Sunday. Perry passed away Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Perry, who retired from Saint James in 2023, led the school to its first state championship in school history in 2022.

“Coach Jimmy Perry has left an incredible legacy, not only in his achievements on the field, but as a man of character,” said Head of School Dr. Larry McLemore. “His leadership has shaped so many lives through his focus on what matters most and giving countless hours to mentoring and building up others. Jimmy will be deeply missed and his mark on our school community is lasting.”

Perry began his coaching career in 1979 after graduating from Auburn University. From 1982-2000, he coached at Robert E. Lee High School, serving as the head coach his last five years and leading the team to a berth in the 1999 AHSAA Class 6A state championship game.

In 2000, Perry took a role on the football staff at Auburn University, where he stayed until Tommy Tuberville’s departure in 2008. Perry then resumed high school coaching as the head coach at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile for three years before becoming the head football coach at Saint James School in 2012.

In 2021, Perry became the winningest coach in Saint James School history, and finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 92-37. As a head coach over 19 seasons, he attained an overall record of 157-69.

In 2022, Perry was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Perry is survived by his wife, Judy, daughter, Jana, and son, Danny.