William Perigo

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = William Perigo

| image = Bill Perigo and Matt Patanelli.png

| alt =

| caption = Perigo (left) and Matt Patanelli from 1955 Michiganensian

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 185

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|9|17}}

| birth_place = Lebanon, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|2|7|1911|9|17}}

| death_place = Saline, Michigan, U.S.

| high_school = Delphi (Delphi, Indiana)

| college = Western Michigan (1931–1934)

| career_start = 1934

| career_end = 1939

| career_number =

| career_position = Center

| coach_start = 1934

| coach_end = 1960

| years1 = 1934–1936

| team1 = Indianapolis Kautskys

| years2 = 1937–1939

| team2 = Whiting/Hammond Ciesar All-Americans

| cyears1 = 1934–1936

| cteam1 = Markleville HS

| cyears2 = 1936–1949

| cteam2 = Benton Harbor HS

| cyears3 = 1949–1952

| cteam3 = Western Michigan

| cyears4 = 1952–1960

| cteam4 = Michigan

| highlights =

| cstats_league1 = College

| cwin1 = 119

| closs1 = 127

}}

William J. Perigo (September 17, 1911 – February 7, 1990) was an American basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for Western Michigan University from 1931 to 1934 and professional basketball for the Indianapolis Kautskys from 1934 to 1936. Perigo also worked as a basketball coach for more than 25 years. He was the basketball coach at Benton Harbor High School for 13 years and led the team to the Michigan Class A state championship in 1941. He was the head basketball coach at Western Michigan University (1949–1952) and the University of Michigan (1952–1960). In 1983, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early years and college basketball

Perigo was born in Lebanon, Indiana in 1911. His father, Alonzo Lon Perigo, was a farmer in Boone County, Indiana. Perigo graduated from Delphi High School in Indiana in 1930. He twice helped lead Delphi to the Indiana state finals and was "considered the greatest jumping center of his era." He enrolled at Western Michigan University and graduated in 1934. He played three years of varsity basketball at Western Michigan, during which time Western Michigan compiled a 40–13 record.{{cite news|title=Bill Perigo: One of His Era's Greatest Jumping Centers|publisher=Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame|url=http://hoopshall.com/hall/p/bill-perigo/}}

Professional basketball

In the 1930s, Perigo played professional basketball for the Indianapolis Kautskys.{{cite news|date=February 9, 2008|title=Historical Perspective: George Chestnut and pioneer pro basketball in Indiana|author=Mick McCormick|newspaper=TribStar, Terre Haute, Indiana|url=http://tribstar.com/history/x1155735430/Historical-Perspective-George-Chestnut-and-pioneer-pro-basketball-in-Indiana}} During the 1934–35 season, the Kautskys, featuring Perigo and John Wooden, had a 15-game winning streak.{{cite book|author=Todd Gould|title=Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball|url=https://archive.org/details/pioneersofhardwo0000goul|url-access=registration|pages=[https://archive.org/details/pioneersofhardwo0000goul/page/78 78–79]|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1998}}

Coaching career

Perigo was a basketball coach for more than 25 years at the high school and collegiate levels. He coached high school basketball in Markleville, Indiana (two years) and Benton Harbor, Michigan (13 years) before moving to the collegiate level. His Benton Harbor teams won 13 Southwest Conference titles and the Michigan Class A basketball championship in 1941.

Perigo became a friend of John Wooden when the two played professional basketball together for the Kautskys. When Perigo coached high school basketball at Benton Harbor, Wooden lived a short distance away in South Bend, Indiana. During those years, Wooden and his wife often drove to Benton Harbor for Sunday dinners with the Perigos.{{cite book|author=John Wooden|title=They Call Me Coach|pages=99–100|publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional|year=2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sD-etTE0uAgC|isbn=9780071424912}} Wooden also visited practice sessions and offered coaching tips to Perigo.{{cite news|title=Editorial: John Wooden revered in Kalamazoo - with good reason; Local connections with the coaching legend are numerous|newspaper=Kalamazoo Gazette|date=June 16, 2010|url=http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/06/editorial_john_wooden_revered.html}}

Perigo was the head basketball coach at Western Michigan University (1949–1952) and the University of Michigan (1952–1960). He compiled a 41–27 (.603) in three years at Western Michigan. In July 1952, he was hired by the University of Michigan as its head basketball coach.{{cite news|title=MICHIGAN NAMES PERIGO COACH: Replaces Ernie McCoy as Basket Chief|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=July 27, 1952|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/500809182.html?dids=500809182:500809182&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+27%2C+1952&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=MICHIGAN+NAMES+PERIGO+COACH&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629072752/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/500809182.html?dids=500809182:500809182&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+27,+1952&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=MICHIGAN+NAMES+PERIGO+COACH&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2011}} In eight years as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, Perigo compiled a 78–100 (.438) record. His record in Big Ten Conference games while at Michigan was 38–78. Perigo's best season at Michigan came with the 1958–59 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, captained by M. C. Burton, Jr., which compiled a 15–7 (.682) record.{{cite web|title=Bill Perigo|publisher=SR/College Basketball|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/p/perigbi01.html}} Perrigo resigned as Michigan's head basketball coach in May 1960 after the 1959–60 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team finished with a 1–13 record against Big Ten Conference opponents. Perigo told the press at the time that he planned to obtain a master's degree and pursue a career in teaching or athletic administration.{{cite news|title=Perigo Resigns As Coach|newspaper=The Owosso Argus-Press|date=May 21, 1960|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V20iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VqwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=984,3888447&dq=bill-perigo&hl=en}}{{cite news|title=Wolverine Cage Coach Resigns|newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 12, 1960|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/446466312.html?dids=446466312:446466312&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+12%2C+1960&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Wolverine+Cage+Coach+Resigns&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629072817/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/446466312.html?dids=446466312:446466312&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+12,+1960&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Wolverine+Cage+Coach+Resigns&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2011}}

Later years and death

Perigo remained in Ann Arbor after resigning his coaching position, and worked as an administrator until he retired in 1970. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. Perigo died in Ann Arbor in 1990 at age 78.{{cite news|title=Coach Dies|newspaper=The Argus-Press|date=February 8, 1990|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cmgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_akFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2700,3374326&dq=perigo&hl=en}}