He has been the head baseball coach at Francis Howell High School since 1994. During his 26 years as head coach, he has compiled a record of 560 wins and 241 losses. The Francis Howell Vikings won the Missouri State Championship in 2003, 2011, 2013, and 2016. The Vikings finished second in the state in 1997, 2008, and 2014. They finished fourth in the state in 1999. Perkins has guided his teams to 17 conference titles, 14 district championships, and 11 final fours. He has sent many players to the college ranks, and several had successful careers in professional baseball. In 1997, he was voted the St. Louis Metropolitan Coach of the Year. He was Coach of the Year for the State of Missouri in 2003, 2011, 2013, and 2016. He was also Coach of the Year for the entire Midwest Region in those four years when the Francis Howell Vikings won the state championship. He was named Gateway Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times.
In 2016, Perkins was chosen as National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Photo courtesy STL Today Association. In 2017, he received the Metro Legend Award from the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was inducted into the National High School Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was inducted into the St. Charles County Amateur Sports Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was voted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was president of the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association from 2000 to 2003. He has served on the baseball advisory board of the Missouri State High School Activities Association. Perkins is currently the second vice president of the National Baseball Coaches Association.
Before he became the head baseball coach at Francis Howell High School, he was the assistant coach, helping the Vikings finish second in the state in 1991 and third in the state in 1993. He coached the freshman baseball team at Francis Howell North for two years.
Perkins began his baseball coaching career at Brashear High School in Brashear, Missouri. He played baseball for Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Illinois. He played both baseball and football at Dickinson State University in North Dakota. For three years, he was on the baseball team at Northeast Missouri State University, and he was an assistant coach for one year.
Perkins has been a member of the Cottleville & Harvester Athletic Association for over 25 years. He has operated numerous baseball camps in St. Charles. He has been the featured speaker at baseball clinics, and he has written articles about high school baseball. From 1999 to 2001, Perkins was an associate scout for the Colorado Rockies.
