Five years ago, the John Carroll Football community lost one of its legends in Joe Perella ’63.
A brilliant coach and kind mentor, Perella passed away in 2020 after a legendary coaching career. And so, in 2025, the Gridiron Club will honor his memory.
During the Blue Streaks’ second home game on October 4 vs. Wabash, the Gridiron Club’s new “Seat of Honor” will be reserved for Perella, with his family joining the club for the game.
A 1963 John Carroll grad, Perella coached at several levels of football during a successful decades-long career. A native of the Little Italy neighborhood in Cleveland, Perella became a renowned coach at John Carroll, serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1994-99.
Perella guided top-notch offenses for the Blue Streaks, and guided legendary quarterbacks such as Nick Caserio ’98 and Tom Arth ’03, helping to open the JCU to NFL pipeline for now well-known names such as Tom Telesco ’95, Josh McDaniels ’99, and Jerry Schuplinski ’99, ’02G.
To learn more about Perella, read the full piece written upon his passing in 2020.
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