Perry is responsible for two of Texas Tech’s strongest position rooms in his role as associate head coach, special teams coordinator and running backs coach. As the running backs coach, he has mentored Tahj Brooks, who became Texas Tech’s all-time career leading rusher earlier this month against Colorado. Brooks now has 4,236 rushing yards over his career as he also ranks fifth in Big 12 history, only 54 yards shy of passing former Missouri quarterback Brad Smith (2002-05) for fourth all-time in the conference record book. Brooks is already a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award and a finalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy. Brooks could potentially move up further in both the Texas Tech and Big 12 record books over the next two weeks as his next 100-yard outing will mark the 22nd of his career, which would, again, snap Hanspard's school record and move him into a tie for fourth all-time in conference history alongside Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson. He would also match Hanspard and James Gray's single-season record with his 10th different 100-yard performance of the year. The Red Raiders have relied heavily on the toughness of Brooks, who is the only power conference rusher to hit the 100-yard mark in every game he's played this season. Brooks, who missed the Washington State trip early in the season due to injury, is currently sixth in the FBS with 131.6 rushing yards per game and eighth overall with 1,184 total rushing yards despite having one less game played. He also did not play in the second half of the Sept. 14 rout of North Texas after Texas Tech led 52-7 at halftime with Brooks already at 109 rushing yards. As Texas Tech’s special teams coordinator, Perry has annually produced one of the nation’s top special teams units, namely in place kicker Gino Garcia, a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. Garcia has been the standard for consistency this season as the senior kicker ranks tied for fourth in the FBS for field goal percentage among those with at least 10 attempts. Garcia is 15-of-16 on field goal attempts this season, which is on pace to rank among the all-time best percentages in school history. His only miss thus far this season was a 53-yard attempt, into the wind, in the waning second of the first half last time out versus Colorado. The miss snapped a streak of 16 consecutive made field goals, dating back to 2023, that broke the previous school record of 13 for consecutive made field goals. In addition, Perry has overseen a kickoff return unit that is among the most-explosive teams in the country. Texas Tech shares the FBS lead with four kick returns of at least 40 yards despite using two different primary returners in Drae McCray and true freshman J’Koby Williams.
