COLLEGE PARK, Md. – University of Maryland head football coach Randy Edsall announced the hiring of Darrell Perkins as defensive backs coach Monday.

"Darrell is a great coach who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the defensive back position,” Edsall said. “He is also an excellent teacher and will maximize the talent that we have in the secondary. Darrell is strong recruiter who will help our staff continue to build our program."

Perkins spent the 2014 season coaching the cornerbacks at Old Dominion University, after serving the previous four years at Connecticut. While at Connecticut, Perkins helped develop Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Dwayne Gratz, who were both selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

In 2012, his safeties helped the Connecticut defense to rank ninth in the country, and first in the BIG EAST, in total defense.

The 2010 Connecticut defensive unit ranked tied for fifth nationally in interceptions and ranked 28th in the nation in pass efficiency defense, while earning a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.

Perkins served as the defensive backs coach at Louisiana-Monroe in 2008 and 2009. He helped lead the Louisiana-Monroe defense to the top ranking in the Sun Belt Conference in 2009.

Prior to his stint at Monroe, he was the defensive coordinator at Charleston Southern in 2007. He was the linebackers and special teams coach at Northern Colorado in 2006 and was the defensive backs/special teams coordinator at Charleston Southern from 2004-05.

In 2004, Charleston Southern was ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision in pass defense at 131 yards per game.

Perkins was the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Ferris State from 2002-03 as the Bulldogs finished first in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in pass defense at 161 yards per game.

He started his collegiate coaching career as a defensive graduate assistant at Purdue in 2000-01, after spending three years (1997-99) at his alma mater, Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo., as an assistant coach.

Perkins is a 1990 graduate of Wyoming and earned his degree in business marketing. He was a two-year starter at running back for the Cowboys and a three-year letter winner from 1985-89.

– Maryland –