University of the Pacific

Leonard Perry was named the Pacific men's basketball head coach on July 7, 2021. The 2023-24 season marks his third year as the Tiger head coach and his eighth year on the Stockton campus. He originally arrived at Pacific prior to the 2016-17 season, hired as the associate head coach on Damon Stoudamire's staff. A native of Dallas, Texas, Perry brings decades of coaching and recruiting experience to the Pacific sidelines, with experiences as a college head coach, a college assistant and NBA assistant coach.

In 2022-23, the program showed significant improvement during the tough West Coast Conference schedule, finishing in a tie for fifth in the conference with BYU and San Francisco. The Tigers earned seven WCC wins during the season, more than doubling the total from his first season (3). Pacific knocked off Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount during the season, the two teams that finished just ahead of them in the WCC. Pacific also picked up a first-round win in the WCC Championship, rolling past Pepperdine, 84-71, to give the program its first WCC postseason win since 2017. 

In 2021-22, his first season at the helm at Pacific, Perry inherited a program in transition with just four returning players. The Tigers finished 8-22 record in 2021-22, earning an eighth-place finish in the West Coast Conference standings. Perry led the team to an upset win over BYU on January 29, 2022, and nearly defeated #21 USC on the road on February 8. Under Perry, the team earned its highest grade-point average in over 10 years, with seven student-athletes recording a 3.0 GPA or higher. Along with success in the classroom, Alphonso Anderson was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team, becoming the first men's basketball player selected to the list since Christian Maraker earned the honor in 2007.  

During his five years as the associate head coach, Perry has helped Pacific to its highest winning season (2019-20, 23 wins) in 10 years and helped develop two Tigers who became WCC Defensive Player of the Year - Jahlil Tripp, 2019-20, and Namdi Okonkwo, 2016-17. Tripp played two seasons in the NBA G League.

Prior to Pacific, Perry was the associate head coach at Colorado State. He spent four seasons with the Rams, during which time Colorado State enjoyed unprecedented success. In his first year in Fort Collins, Perry was instrumental in the Rams' most successful season in program history. Colorado State went 26-9, entered the AP Top 25 for the first time, and advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Rams rewrote the record book during the 2014-15 season, starting the season 14-0 before going on to post a 27-7 record while making the postseason for the second time in three seasons. While at Colorado State, Perry coached alongside his long-time mentor, head coach Larry Eustachy. After a one-year stint together at Southern Miss, the two spent four seasons at Colorado State, where they led the Golden Eagles into the NCAA Tournament.

Before Southern Miss, Perry spent six years with the Indiana Pacers serving as an assistant coach during the 2006-07 season. He then spent 2007-11 as an Advanced Scout for the Pacers. In 2008, he was in charge of NBA and NBA Developmental League Pro Scouting. 

Before Indiana, Perry was the head coach at his alma mater, Idaho, from 2001-06, where he led the Vandals to a 48-97 record over five seasons and coached eight All-Big West honorees. 

Before Idaho, Perry spent six years with Eustachy at Iowa State and Utah State as an assistant and then associate head coach with ISU. Perry helped lead the Cyclones to two NCAA Tournament Appearances, including the 2000 Big 12 regular season and tournament championship and a spot in the Elite Eight.

Perry was an assistant coach at Utah State from 1995 to 1998, where he helped lead the Aggies to a 63-32 record, including two 20-win seasons. Utah State won back-to-back Big West Conference regular-season championships in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and made the NCAA Tournament in 1997-98.

No stranger to success as a player at Idaho, Perry led the Vandals to a 25-6 mark, the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship, and a berth in the 1990 NCAA Tournament as the team's starting point guard. He received the team's most improved player award in 1990 and the Ronald White Award in 1991 as the Vandals' most outstanding player. He graduated from Idaho in 1995 with a degree in general studies with an emphasis in English.

Perry and his wife, Christina, have two daughters, Keisha Ann and Kayla Corrine, and a son, Justin Leonard. Perry also has another son, Leonard III, and a daughter Camitri Deon.

THE LEONARD PERRY FILE

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2021-Present: Pacific, Head Coach 
2016-21: Pacific, Associate Head Coach
2012-16: Colorado State, Associate Head Coach 
2011-12: Southern Mississippi, Assistant Coach 
2006-07: Indiana Pacers, Assistant Coach
2001-06: Idaho, Head Coach 
1999-01: Iowa State, Associate Head Coach
1998-99: Iowa State, Assistant Coach  
1995-98: Utah State, Assistant Coach 

PACIFIC HIGHLIGHTS

• One All-Academic District 8 Selection
• Earned a 76-73 upset victory over BYU on January 29, 2022
• WCC Tournament win over Pepperdine, first for the Tigers since 2017

HEAD COACHING AND PACIFIC COACHING HISTORY

COACHING RECORD