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Perkins Hired as Barnesville Girls Hoops Coach

BARNESVILLE — Jason Perkins believes in the life cliche that ‘good things come to those who wait.’

After coming up empty in his pursuit of several head basketball coaching jobs, Perkins is now preparing to lead a varsity basketball team onto the court this winter.

Perkins was formally hired as the Barnesville girls basketball coach at the board of education meeting Thursday evening by a 5-0 vote to take over for Jamie Carpenter, who stepped down after 12 years at the helm.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that the Barnesville administration and the school board has given me,” Perkins said. “I am thankful that (athletics director) Mark Cook and all of the administration thought enough of me to recommend me for this job.”

Perkins plans to meet with his new team on Monday to lay out the groundwork for the upcoming summer schedule, which will be busy as Perkins attempts to familiarize himself with his players as quickly as possible.

“The summer is going to be huge for us,” Perkins said. “As much as I need to get to know the players, they have to get to know me and my style as well.”

Though this is Perkins’ first foray as a head coach, his resume is comprised with 22 years of experience between his alma mater, Union Local, and Barnesville. However, all of his coaching has been done in boys basketball.

Though he admits there will be a transition, Perkins doesn’t think coaching females for the first time will be much different.

“I always tell everyone that if you want to see basketball, you should go watch a girls game,” Perkins said. “A lot about the girls game appealed to me, especially the fundamentals and the Xs and Os. I am an Xs and Os guy, and I love teaching the fundamentals.”

Perkins, who graduated from Union Local in 1998 and owns a bachelor’s degree in business from Grand Canyon University, has been coaching basketball since he collected his diploma. He played two years at Ohio University Eastern and coached middle school for many years at his alma mater.

He coached at the varsity level with the Jets under Zach Delman for one season and then moved west to work with Matt Johnson and the Shamrocks. He was on the Barnesville staff the last two seasons.

“I actually coached Zach (Delman) at Union Local and he’s become a fantastic coach and as for Matt Johnson, he’s not only a friend, but a mentor,” Perkins said. “I am going to miss being around Matt and those players, but the last two years of coaching with him and those kids have been two of the best years of my career.”

Perkins didn’t think twice about applying for the Shamrocks’ girls post when Carpenter formally tendered his resignation.

“I love Barnesville,” Perkins said. “The community is fantastic, it gets behind the school, the teams and its coaches. I’ve always wanted to be a head coach and have my fingers on the program, trying to create an atmosphere, which is what I am hoping to do at Barnesville.”

Perkins feels fortunate to be taking over a program on solid footing because of the work Carpenter did during his tenure, which saw him win an OVAC title and three sectional crowns.

“Jamie is the all-time winningest girls coach in the school’s history, so that tells you the kind of job he did,” Perkins said. “I am excited to try to keep the tradition going. We’re going to work hard at it.”

As for a coaching staff, Perkins indicated he “has some people in mind” that he’d like to talk to about possibly coaching with him. However, he hasn’t formally talked to anyone because he didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself before the board of education had its official vote.

Jason, who is single, owns and operates his own pest control business.

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