Perles to Stay at Michigan State

George Perles, under consideration for a multimillion-dollar contract to coach the New York Jets, decided to stay at Michigan State after its trustees sweetened his head coaching job Tuesday by also making him athletic director.

The board of trustees’ 5-3 vote brought mostly hisses, but some applause, from about 300 people at the packed emergency board meeting.

“I am very confident in my ability to do both jobs,” Perles said in a statement. “Of course, you don’t run a department by yourself. A strong, competent staff is essential to any organization. I have a plan that I hope to develop.”

Perles said his immediate plans were to take care of football recruiting, which ends with national signing day on Feb. 14.

Perles, who will assume his new job on July 1, when current Athletic Director Doug Weaver retires, will have a one-year trial with no extra salary. Then, the board will review his performance and decide whether one person can handle both jobs.

New Jet General Manager Dick Steinberg will have to keep looking. He had interviewed 11 potential candidates, including Perles. Steinberg has also talked to current NFL assistant coaches Vince Tobin (Chicago), Bruce Coslet (Cincinnati) and Floyd Peters (Minnesota).