James Perine played offensive guard and offensive center in high school and college prior to entering coaching. He graduated from Blount in 1968 and Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., in 1972.

Perine got his start in coaching at Shaw High School in Mobile that same fall. He was the junior varsity football and basketball coach.

After moving to Vigor in 1974, Perine served as head basketball and head baseball coach. He also worked in the community coaching basketball for the Inner-City Mission and coaching basketball and swimming at Taylor Park.

Perine was an assistant coach at Vigor for 20 years before getting his chance as a head football coach. Perine's Vigor freshman track team won the Mobile County Class 6A championship in 1995. They won the state championship in 1994.

Coach Perine accepted the head coaching position at Vigor in the fall of 1995. He took over for legendary coach Harold Clark. The 1998 version of the Vigor Wolves reached the State Championship game before losing to Vestavia Hills 10-7 in the title game. That team finished with an 11-4 record.

Perine's overall record as the head football coach at Vigor is 72-23 in only seven seasons leading the Wolves. After stepping down at Vigor, Perine worked for two years at Pointe Academy, teaching physical education, health, history and economics to kids who had been arrested or were on probation.