On Tuesday night, former Michigan State head football coach and board of trustees member George Perles passed away at the age of 85. He was the head coach of the Spartans from 1983 through 1994.

Perles was a companion and mentor to many coaches across college football, including current Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and current Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Dantonio had become well-acquainted with Perles since taking over in East Lansing. Saban worked under Perles from 1983-87 at Michigan State, before being named the head coach of the Spartans in 1995.

Both issued statements after the news of Perles’ death.

From Dantonio:

Coach Perles exuded confidence, conviction and toughness. He really gave his life to Michigan State, all the way till the end.

He welcomed me back to MSU when I first became the head coach here. Not many people have been in these shoes, but he was one of them, and was always extremely supportive every step of the way. He was someone you could lean on. Many time over the past 13 years he would speak to our team.

George was one of the most renowned coaches in America; everybody knew who Coach Perles was and what he brought to the game. He had tremendous success, winning the Rose Bowl, four Super Bowl titles, two Big Ten Championships, and developed countless NFL players. I first got to know his reputations when I was a graduate assistant at Ohio State. He always brought a blue-collar mentality and really we’ve embraced a lot of things in our program over the years that came from him. He left a legacy and was an impactful figure.

George was a true Spartan and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Perles family during this difficult time.

From Saban:

George Perles meant a tremendous amount to not only me, but the entire Saban family. He was one of my mentors in this profession, and he gave me my first opportunity to be in a position of leadership as the defensive coordinator at Michigan State. George was always a great friend and someone who I turned to for advice on many occasions. I learned an incredible amount of both football and life fro him over the years.

George did an outstanding job at Michigan State building that program. He was a great leader who impacted that transformation at Michigan State from the top down. Those five years at Michigan State, which culminated with a Rose Bowl victory at the end of the 1987 season, showed us the type of foundation necessary to build a program. We are so very close to his family, his wife Sally, and their children, Kathy, Terry, John and Pat, and they are in our thoughts and prayers. It is a sad day for the Sabans when it comes to losing one of our great mentors and the fantastic memories that we had with them.