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Football
at FIU
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Football
Perkins, Chris
Chris Perkins
- Title:
- Player Development Assistant
At FAU
- Chris Perkins joined Florida Atlantic University’s football staff as a player development assistant in May of 2017
- He primarily worked with the Owls’ running backs
- Elevated to running backs coaching in December of 2019, a position he held through the 2021 season
- Despite many injuries and personnel movement, tutored a unit that finished fourth in CUSA in rushing (180.1 yards per game) in 2020
- Perkins’ backs were led by transfer Johnny Ford, who tallied 831 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry, in the uncharacteristic 2020 season
- Ford, who earned PFF All-Conference honors and was named CUSA Honorable Mention, led the team with five rushing scores, but seven other Owls used their feet to find the end zone, including four multiple times
- The Owls averaged 156.6 yards per game with a total of 1,879 yards gained, which equated to 38% of the FAU’s offensive production in 2021 and his backs accounted for 503 receiving yards and two scores
- After a one year absence, 2022, he returned to coach the Owl running backs in 2023
- Worked with a unit that began preseason as a deep unit, but by game one he was forced to manage a "banged up" corps and worked under those restrictions the entire season
- Both starting backs averaged nearly five yards per carry (Kobe Lewis 4.8 and Larry McCammon III 4.6) the Owls also used a "wildcat" formation that saw quarterback Michael Johnson average 6.1 yards per carry and a team leading seven TDs
- Worked to develop underclassman Keyvon Walker who averaged 4.5 yards a carry in 11 attempts and Xavier Terrell who averaged 9.0 on five carries
- In 2024, led a powerful Owls rushing attack that was responsible for 63% of the team's touchdowns over the course of the season
- Coached redshirt junior C.J. Campbell to third team All-AAC following a season in which he led the Owls with 844 rushing yards on 165 carries and11 touchdowns on the ground finished second on the team in receiving with 466 yards (single-season record by an Owl RB in program history) and three scores via a team-leading 40 catches. 14 total touchdowns in a single season is third most in school history. According to ‘Stathead,” Campbell was the only player in the country that had five games with a minimum of 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards.
- Also oversaw a successful comeback season from redshirt junior Zuberi Mobley, who despite missing three games, finished 19th in the AAC in rushing yards with 487 on 5.3 per-carry.
- In final game of the 2024 season, the Owls rushed for 371 yards with an average of 8.3 per attempt, third best mark in program history, on the way to a 63-16 victory. This included a school record 93-yard run by Terrell
Goldenwest Junior College
- Came to FAU after serving as the inside receivers and quarterbacks coach at Goldenwest Junior College since October 2015
- Spent a year and a half as the varsity quarterbacks coach at Long Beach Polytechnic High School
- From 2010-2011, he returned to Miami Northwestern Senior as the varsity offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
- During that season, the offense averaged 396 total yards and 25.4 points per game
- He also worked directly on developing Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders wide receiver, and Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings quarterback
- From August 2008 until January 2010, Perkins held the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coaching position
- While there, he was instrumental in developing Raheem Cato’s quarterback mechanics and techniques
- The team had the No. 1 offense in the state of Florida (2008 & 2009) and won the District 6A Championship
- Began his coaching career at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in August 2003 as a junior varsity offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Coach
- Elevated to the varsity quarterbacks coach, the following three seasons, and assisted the team in claiming the District 6A Florida High School State Championship and Regional runner-up titles
- In 2001, Perkins joined the XFL and played quarterback for the Birmingham Thunderbirds
- He spent two years in the Arena Football League at the same position
- Perkins was the starting quarterback at Tennessee State University from 1998-00
- He helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Championships (1999, 2000)
PERSONAL
Education: B.S. in Criminal Justice, Tennessee State ‘00
PERKINS COACHING HISTORY
| Year | School | Position |
| 2023- | Florida Atlantic | Running Backs |
| 2020-2021 | Florida Atlantic | Running Backs |
| 2017-19 | Florida Atlantic | Player Development Assistant |
| 2015-16 | Goldenwest Junior College | Inside Receivers |
| 2013-14 | Long Beach Polytechnic HS | Quarterbacks Coach |
| 2010-11 | Miami Northwestern Senior HS | Offensive Coordinator/QBs |
| 2008-10 | Miami Central Senior HS | Offensive Coordinator/QBs |
| 2004 | Miami Northwestern Senior HS | Varsity Quarterbacks |
| 2003 | Miami Northwestern Senior HS | JV Offensive Coordinator/QBs |
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