Green Bay safeties coach Darren Perry has spent his entire coaching career in the professional ranks, starting with the Ravens in 2002 and working his way through the Steelers, Raiders and Packers organizations after that. As his agent told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Musselman, who initially reported Perry's interest on Thursday, he's comfortable in the NFL, but would consider leaving the pros for one program, his own.
"If approached by Penn State, this really would be the only college job that he would take a hard look at and really listen to," Perry's agent, Chris Turnage, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Perry starred as a defensive back for the Nittany Lions in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning All-American honors in 1991. His 15 interceptions for Penn State rank second on the school's all-time list. Perry went on to play seven season for the Steelers and made stops with three other teams before leaving his playing days behind him in 2000.
In a selection pool clogged with coaches boasting years of college-level experience, it's hard to see Perry getting much of a look for Penn State's search committee. That said, his interest in the program could be a significant barometer of just how many coaches on both the college and pro levels remain interested in the Penn State job despite the ongoing developments in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.