Joe Perkins was born December 30, 1937 in Jasper, AL, and grew up in Columbus, MS, Winfield, AL, and Fayette, AL. He graduated from Fayette County High School in 1956 where he was an All State Guard playing for HOF Coach J.B. McClendon. Joe played one year of football at Itawamba Junior College, then transferred to Auburn University, and after time in the Army, graduated in 1963. He entered coaching as an Assistant Football Coach at Hamilton High School under HOF Coach Bobby Lott. From 1966 to 1979, Joe served as Head Wrestling Coach as well as Defensive Coordinator (football) at W.A. Berry High School. During his time at W.A. Berry, Joe had the unique experience to coach with HOF Coaches Bob Finley, Gerald Gann, Wayne Williams, Larry Giangrosso, and Dickey Wright. As was the case with quite a few of the early wrestling coaches, Joe had no personal experience wrestling, and therefore relied on mentors like Coach Charles Lee and Coach Red Lutz. The 1968 team finished 4th in the state while Eddie Rew was the individual state champ in 1967 and 1968. In 1972, the Bucs won the state title while having individual champs in Jim Rew, Eric Sutton, and Garnett Sutton. In 1973 the Bucs placed second in the state with Alan Barksdale, Rusty Bullard, and Dennis Wildsmith as individual champs. In 1974-75 the Bucs had heavyweight champ Lief Ericson both years. Tom Powers and Keith Barnard were also 1975 Champs. Lief Ericson went on to be the SEC Heavyweight Champion for the University of Alabama. There was a 6th place finish in 1977, a 4th place in 1978, and a 6th place in 1979. Tim Sexton and Jay Zito were individual champs in 1978. Four Berry wrestlers went on to wrestle for Auburn and six for Alabama in the SEC. During his tenure, Joe served with Jim Jeffery as cohost of the AHSAA Wrestling Tournament for eight years. He and Coach Jeffery organized and ran Vulcan Wrestling Camps. He served three years on the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee, and conducted the AHSAA Wrestling Officials Clinic and Registration Test for five years. Joe hosted the preliminary wrestling trials Southern District for the 1976 Olympics. He was named NCFA Coach of the Year South 1973. He officiated wrestling from 1980 to 1984. After serving as assistant principal at W.A. Berry and principal at Montevallo High, Joe left education in 1982 and entered the military Active Guard Reserve program assigned to the Army National Guard, where he remained until retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1997. He and his wife Elaine reside in Boynton Beach, FL.