Wareham has a new football coach and he's a familiar face on the SouthCoast
WAREHAM — When Brandon Perry saw the opening for a head football coach at Wareham High, he jumped at the opportunity.
“Wareham is one I’ve wanted for years,” said Perry, a Mattapoisett resident. “The location is so close to home and they have so many great athletes and they have a rich history in athletics.
“They have so much support in athletics. It’s a great opportunity.”
Perry takes over for Fran Cass after five seasons. The Vikings are coming off a 2-5 season in 2022.
As Wareham’s new head coach, Perry is looking to build back up the program after recent struggles with participation.
“Building the numbers back and building the program back,” Perry said of his goals. “There are a lot of great athletes to come out of the program. It’s a football program that produced two NFL players and I feel like they can produce another one.
“I believe the seniors can be the change in Wareham football and be that class that brings it back.”
Wareham High athletic director Ed Rodrigues said Perry’s passion stood out.
“He brought a lot of energy and he’s very excited,” Rodrigues said. “He’s very energetic and he’s got a lot of good ideas. We need numbers and he’s very invested. He’s got connections to Wareham.”
Perry, a three-sport athlete, had 28 touchdowns and over 2,500 rushing yards over his high school career at Old Rochester, but got his start in football with the Wareham Tigers.
“Being a local guy is going to help,” said the 39-year-old Perry. “I played at Old Rochester. I played youth football for the Wareham Tigers. That's where I played organized football for the first time.
“I loved it. I’m really looking forward to connecting back the Tigers to the Wareham High program as a feeder program. I want to build a relationship there. I think I can connect to the community. I’ve got a lot of passion for the kids. I’m a little old school and a little new school.”
This is the third head coaching job for Perry, who has held various assistant and JV coaches positions throughout the area over the last 12 years.
Perry was the head coach for boys and girls track at Sturgis Charter School for two years, starting in 2015. He then became the football head coach at Monomoy for a season in 2017.
“As a young coach I wanted to be somewhere long term,” he reflected. “That’s my goal.”
Perry went on to be an assistant coach in basketball, track and football at St. George’s for two years, but then the pandemic hit and all sports were shut down in Middletown, R.I. and beyond.
Perry returned home to the tri-town. He joined the coaching staff at Tabor Academy in 2021 and worked as an assistant coach for football, basketball and track in addition to being the school’s strength and conditioning coach.
“I was wearing four hats there,” he said. “I love coaching. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I have a passion for it.”
This isn’t the first time that Perry has faced the challenge of building up a program.
“When I went to Sturgis, their track program was struggling,” Perry said. “I was the head coach for two years. I feel I helped revive that program.”
As a substitute teacher at Wareham High, Perry will be looking to form connections with his players on and off the field.
“The players I coach become my kids,” he said. “I have all the time in the world to invest in them.”
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Wareham hires Brandon Perry as new head football coach 2023
