Former MSU coach George Perles’ 14 bowl rings stolen

Meridian Township — Former Michigan State University football coach George Perles lost 14 bowl rings when his house was broken into during the MSU-Oregon football game on Sept. 12.

Perles said he was attending the game when the incident occurred. A bracelet owned by his wife, which displayed all of the bowl wins, was also taken.

Other jewelry, including a number of Rolex watches were also taken by the intruders, Meridian Township Police Lt. Greg Frenger said.

No other items were taken. Perles, who is now an MSU trustee, said he believes the intruders were specifically targeting the rings.

“They took out all the closet drawers and dumped them out,” he said. “Nothing else was touched.”

Fortunately, the four Super Bowl rings he earned with the Pittsburgh Steelers were locked away in a safety deposit box off site.

While the rings are insured, he said, the monetary value is secondary to the memories they represent.

“It’s the sentimental reason why I’m so interested in getting them back,” Perles said. “There’s a lot of good times, lots of big games in those 14 different rings.”

No clear signs of how the robbers gained entry were found, Frenger said. Police do not have any suspects at this time, though Perles said he’s confident police are on top of the situation.

Perles played football at MSU in the 1950s, spent a decade coaching for the Steelers and went on to coach the Spartans from 1983 until 1994. His tenure included two Big Ten Championships in 1987 and 1990 and a Rose Bowl victory in 1988.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Meridian Township Police Department at 332-6526.

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 orrwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.