Mt. Lebanon hires Perry; Watson wins another
Football in February is becoming common in Western Pennsylvania as two local products made news this past week. While Greg Perry was hired as Mt. Lebanon’s new head coach, Justin Watson of South Fayette added another championship ring to his collection.
On Feb. 12, the Blue Devils introduced Perry as their new coach, and he wasted no time getting to work.
“Greg met with the players and then followed them into the weight room for their workout,” said athletic director John Grogan.
“He’s going to be a good fit,” Grogan added. “His experience, ability to lead and build positive relationships with kids made him attractive.”
Perry is the third coach the Blue Devils have had in three years. He replaces Mike Collodi, who resigned in December after one season. The Blue Devils finished 5-6 in 2023. Prior to Collodi, Bob Palko led Lebo, guiding the squad to a WPIAL title and PIAA championship in 2021 before retiring.
Perry has had a long and storied career that has included 17 seasons at the helm at the scholastic level.
He also spent two seasons recently as an assistant on Jerry Schmitt’s staff at Duquesne University. Last fall, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Canon-McMillan.
Prior to his recent assistant positions, Perry spent eight seasons as the head coach at Keystone Oaks. He guided his alma mater to seven playoff appearances, including two WPIAL semifinals.
For nearly 20 years, he roamed the sidelines at Seton LaSalle. After serving as an assistant and offensive coordinator from 1994-2004, he assumed the reins as skipper. From 2005-2013, he led the Rebels to three WPIAL semifinal showings. During his entire tenure at SLS, the Rebels won a pair of WPIAL titles and were state finalists in 2002.
Perry worked with seven all-state quarterbacks, including former NFL signal caller and WPIAL Hall of Famer Bruce Gradkowski. His other proteges included Bill Stull, Shane Patterson, Matt Rodgers, Luke Brumbaugh, Anthony Doria and Alex Smith.
“We are excited about Greg,” said Grogan. “He’s a local guy and has a desire to be here for a long time.”
A Greentree resident, Perry and his wife, Kelley, have two daughters, Ashley and Lindsey, as well as five grandchildren.
Meanwhile, for the third time in his brief NFL career, Watson is a Super Bowl champion.
The Bridgeville native helped the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Fransisco 49ers in overtime, 25-22, on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
In Super Bowl LVIII, Watson caught three passes for 54 yards–including a 25-yard catch in the pivotal fourth quarter. Watson also had a second-quarter fumble recovery to help the Chiefs win back-to-back titles.
In 2023, Watson played on Kansas City’s championship club that defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. In that Super Bowl, he caught two passes for 18 yards.
Watson earned his first Super Bowl ring with Tampa Bay when the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs, 31-9, on Feb. 7, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium.
Watson, 27, was drafted by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a three-time All-Ivy League selection. He guided the Quakers to two Ivy League championships and set career records for receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and all-purpose yards. He also holds the record for most receiving yards in conference play in Ivy League history.
Watson had his best NFL season yet in 2023, playing 16 games and totaling 27 catches for 460 yards and three touchdowns. A six-year pro, he has played 73 career games, caught 65 passes and has accumulated 1,033 yards and seven TDs.
While he attended South Fayette High School, Watson Watson helped the Lions to a PIAA state championship his senior season by catching 73 passes for 1,568 yards and 22 TDs. A two-sport athlete, also excelling in basketball, he was named The Almanac’s 2014 Athlete of the Year.