(WWJ) George Perles, 85, an MSU booster, fan, and former member of the board, has reportedly died. Chris Solari from Freep.com broke the news on Twitter.
Perles played football for Michigan State in the 1950s, and served as the team's head coach from 1983–1994.
Three sources confirm former Michigan State football coach and board of trustees member George Perles died late Tuesday night. He was 85.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) January 8, 2020He also coached in the NFL before returning to MSU to become the athletic director. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006 and submitted a letter of resignation in 2018, citing a battle with Parkinson's disease as the reason.
At the time, he was facing a lawsuit that claimed he knew about sex assaults by disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar dating back to 1992 and had covered it up. Perles worked as the school's athletic director at the time.
In Perles' letter of resignation from the MSU Board he talked about his deep connection to the school:
"Michigan State University has been a home to me and my family for nearly 65 years. I arrived on campus shortly after completing my U.S. Army service. I met and married my wife, Sally, while at MSU and we lived in married housing with our first two child¡en. I continued to be an ardent MSU supporter and proud Michigander even as I began my professional career and resided outside of the state.
Sally and I were delighted to return to our dream job when I was asked to lead the football team and serve a short term as athletic director. After attending the university and serving as an employee, the next step was to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees. As a trustee, my goal was to help navigate the challenges of maintaining and growing an institution that, in my mind, is the finest university in the county.
It has been no secret that I have been living with a number of health challenges. Despite the limitations, I continued to support the university and remained focused on fulfilling my commitments as a Trustee.
I have been blessed to have a wonderful family a wealth of experiences and a fulfilling career. MSU provided the foundation for much of my success. I most sincerely thank the voters of this state for twice electing me to the position of Board of Trustee. I have always respected the trust they placed in me and only hope that my contributions have helped to illustrate my most sincere gratitude."
He signed the letter, "Go Green."
