John Perry has been an assistant football coach at Hofstra, Georgetown, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, Brown, and Northeastern. Now the Andover native has a chance to show what he can do as a head coach.
Perry, with more than 15 years of coaching under his belt, has been introduced as the fourth head coach in Merrimack College history. He succeeds Jim Murphy, who resigned after five seasons to spend more time with his family.
"I'm anxious to get on the job and get to know the student-athletes," said Perry. "We're going to hit the ground running as soon as possible and start on the path of winning some games."
After an All-Scholastic career at Andover, Perry played at UNH, where he caught at least one pass in a record-setting 42 straight games. He was a two-time all-conference pick and captained the team in 1992. The next year he began his coaching career at Northeastern, where he worked with the running backs, before making stops at Brown (1993-96), UNH (1997-99), Dartmouth (2000-04), Georgetown (2005), Hofstra (2006), and UNH again last season.
Perry "is a great fit for our program and for the college," said Joe Iarrobino, Merrimack's interim director of athletics. "His many years as a successful coach and coordinator at the collegiate Division 1 level, combined with his excellent reputation and track record as a top recruiter of outstanding student-athletes, gives us the type of coach and leader that we want here at Merrimack."
Perry and his wife, Jen, a Merrimack graduate, and their three children live in North Andover.
The men's soccer team won its first game before losing to eventual national champion Franklin Pierce, while the women were ousted in the first round. Both cross-country teams finished second at the NCAA Northeast Regionals before the men finished 13th and the women 21st in the NCAA Championships. Merrimack was ranked 53d among the 88 Division 2 schools.
MVP Billy Marsden had a game-high 33 points, including 12 from the 3-point circle, to lift Central Catholic to a 73-57 win over Lawrence and its 10th Greater Lawrence Christmas Tournament title.
While Central Catholic was raising its 10th Greater Lawrence banner, Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., was hoisting its first. Tournament MVP Brittni Wilson had 11 points, giving her 40 in three games, to spark Pinkerton to a 49-35 upset of Andover. Andover played most of the game without senior guard and leading scorer Meghan Thomann, who left with a knee injury, and Ilana Cohen, who fractured a finger.
Lowell Catholic captured the Nashoba Valley Tech Christmas Tournament, 71-69, beating Whittier Tech behind the 40-point, 10-assist, 5-steal effort of Cornelius Moore.
Mike Ferriero had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and was named MVP as Tewksbury beat Burlington, 61-47, in the final of the Wilmington McGrath/Knights of Columbus Tournament.
Gerry Cohen, Terrance Favors, and Ryne Tillman combined for 62 points to power Bedford past Framingham, 78-68, in the final of the Malden Holiday Classic.
Lowell knocked off previously unbeaten Westford, 71-46, to win the Greater Lowell Holiday Tournament for the second straight year. Matt Welch had Lowell's first 11 points and finished with 21. Lowell's Fernando Perez scored 10 of his 12 points in the third quarter and was the tournament's MVP.
Dan Schneider earned MVP honors with a 33-save effort and Devin Crory potted two goals to lift Littleton past Oakmont Regional of Ashburnham, 5-3, in the title game of the Lunenburg/Mark Bushnoe Holiday Tournament.
Chelmsford whipped Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey, 6-4, to win the Maine Invitational. Derek Brown and Andrew Palmer combined for three goals and four assists.
Sophomore goalie Robbie Liberatore had 23 saves and Salem (N.H.) beat Andover, 3-1, in the championship game of the Salem Blue Devil Holiday Classic.
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