Perry Fewell facts for kids

Perry Fewell was born on September 7, 1962. He is a well-known American football coach. He currently works for the National Football League (NFL). His job is Senior Vice President of Officiating Administration.

Before this, he coached for many NFL teams. He was a defensive backs coach or defensive coordinator for eight teams between 1998 and 2019. He also stepped in as the temporary head coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2009. Later, he did the same for the Carolina Panthers in 2019. Perry Fewell helped the New York Giants win Super Bowl XLVI. He was their defensive coordinator for five seasons.

Early Life and College Football

Perry Fewell grew up in Belmont, North Carolina. He went to South Point High School. In 1979, he helped his school's football team win a big state championship.

Playing in College

After high school, Fewell attended Lenoir-Rhyne College. He was a great football player there. He played for four years and was a "letterman" each year. This means he earned a special award for playing well. In his last year, his team named him their Most Improved Player.

Coaching Career in Football

Perry Fewell has had a long and successful coaching career. He coached at both college and professional levels.

College Coaching Years

Fewell started his coaching journey in college. He coached for 13 years, from 1985 to 1997. During this time, he was an assistant coach at several universities. These included North Carolina, Army, Kent State, and Vanderbilt.

Coaching in the NFL

Perry Fewell joined the NFL in 1998. He worked with many different teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars (First Time)

His first NFL job was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was their defensive backs coach from 1998 to 2002. The Jaguars' pass defense was very strong under his guidance. In 1999, it was the third best in the NFL. Two years later, they allowed very few touchdown passes.

St. Louis Rams

In 2003, Fewell moved to the St. Louis Rams. He coached their secondary players.

Chicago Bears

From 2004 to 2005, Fewell worked for the Chicago Bears. He was their defensive backs coach.

Buffalo Bills

Fewell became the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2006. The 2008 season was one of their best with him. Their defense was very good at stopping opposing teams. They were fourth in the NFL at stopping teams near the goal line. They also allowed only 14 passing touchdowns all year.

In 2009, the Bills' head coach was fired. Perry Fewell stepped in as the temporary head coach. He led the team for the last seven games of the season. After the season, the Bills changed their entire coaching staff.

New York Giants

On January 14, 2010, Fewell joined the New York Giants. He became their defensive coordinator. He worked under head coach Tom Coughlin again. They had worked together before with the Jaguars. On February 5, 2012, the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI. They beat the New England Patriots 21-17. Fewell's defense helped them win this big game. He left the Giants on January 7, 2015, after five years.

Washington Redskins

Fewell then coached the defensive backs for the Washington Redskins. He stayed with them for two seasons.

Jacksonville Jaguars (Second Time)

Later, Tom Coughlin returned to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He became a top executive. Fewell also came back to the Jaguars. He coached their defensive backs again for two seasons.

Carolina Panthers

On January 15, 2019, Fewell became the secondary coach for the Carolina Panthers. In December 2019, he was named the temporary head coach. This happened after the previous coach was let go. The team lost all four games while he was the interim head coach.

NFL Officiating Role

In 2020, Perry Fewell started a new role. He joined the NFL's officiating department. He is now the Senior Vice President of Officiating Administration. This means he helps manage how games are officiated.

Head Coaching Record

Here is a summary of Perry Fewell's record as a head coach:

* – Interim head coach