Michael Perry is a busier man than he used to be. The interim head coach admits his days are more jam-packed since taking the reins of ECU men's basketball from Jeff Lebo, who resigned Nov. 29, after seven-plus seasons directing the Pirates' program. But it's not altogether unfamiliar territory. Perry stepped in as interim head coach last year following Lebo's hip surgery, and he has additional head coaching experience from leading Georgia State's program from 2002-07.
A native of Richmond, Va., Perry started his career as an assistant at Virginia Union in 1985. He was then an assistant at University of Richmond from 1986-1997 before heading to Georgia State in 2002 and ECU in 2007.
In his 11 years with the Pirates, Perry knows the current program like the back of his hand, and is confident that ECU men's basketball has a bright future. Here, he answers five questions with the Pirate Club.
Question. You were named the interim head coach a month and a half ago. What has that change been like for you day-to-day?
Michael Perry: Last year, when I stepped into this role [in Coach Lebo's absence], my responsibilities really just lied in coaching the basketball team and managing the guys on a daily basis on the floor. This year it's a different role because Coach Lebo isn't here – when he was injured, he wasn't at games but he was still around to handle certain tasks. Now all of the daily responsibilities have been thrust onto my desk. There are new things I have to devote time and energy to that I didn't have to last year, so it's a full plate. The plus in that is I'm experienced and have been a head coach before, but it does make for full days.
Q: You've been a coach at ECU for 11 years, what have been the biggest changes to the program in that timespan?
MP: Certainly the practice facility and the capital improvements. Resources have drastically improved and it's been a big part of selling to recruits that they have a practice facility that's available to them 24-7.
The perception of the university has changed over the years as well. We've been able to attract not just better student-athletes but better students. We're recruiting kids that are now looking at us as a first option, not a second or third option.
Q: What is your message to recruits right now?
MP: My message to recruits is to have faith and believe in the process. We're moving forward, we've got a bright future, we're going places and we'd love for them to be a part of it.
Q. BJ Tyson has a chance to become the conference's all-time leading scorer. What has made him a successful player at ECU?
MP: More than anything, it's his work ethic. He's been here five years. When he first came here, his strengths were being able to hit the mid-range shot and athletic finishes, particularly in transition. The areas he needed to improve were his ball handling and his three-point shooting. Over the last four years, he has been relentless in his time in the gym trying to improve those areas, and now you're starting to see that come to fruition. It's opened up a whole new dynamic to his game because he can score in a lot more ways now.
Q: What do scholarships for your players and resources for the program mean to the success of ECU Men's Basketball?
MP: The resources are tremendously important. Just look at our budget in comparison to other teams' budgets. We're at the very bottom of the league in terms of overall budget. You're going to have to be able to make resource improvements to up the ante. In this league, research has shown that when you are able to charter to more away games, it improves your chances of winning on the road, which has been a struggle for our program. Consequently, we have less charters than other teams in this league. That's one area where we could make significant changes that would have a direct impact on our win-loss record.
