Coaching Staff

Varsity Assistant- Melissa Evans-Knop

Melissa Evans-Knop is a 1994 graduate of Perry High School where she was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in volleyball, basketball, and softball.  After high school, Melissa continued her basketball career at the collegiate level while attending Malone College and majoring in elementary education.  Missy has coached basketball at a variety of levels for over seventeen years, and most recently she stepped into the role of junior varsity coach here at Perry.  In addition to coaching basketball, Melissa serves as the Head Coach for the Panther's Volleyball team.  She is a sixth grade teacher at Fairless Middle School.  Melissa and her husband, Mike, live in Perry and have four beautiful girls, Marissa, Madelyn, Makenna, and Melaina.   Melissa and Mike are also the proud grandparents to Wyatt, Morgan, and Mason!  Go Perry!

Varsity Assistant- Joe Frantz Jr. 

Coach Frantz is a 1999 Graduate of Perry High School. Coach Frantz went on to play football at Malone University, where he was a senior captain and graduated with honors with a dual major in Health and Physical Education. Coach Frantz has coached football for  22 years, baseball for 5 years and this will be his first year as a varsity basketball  assistant. He is currently the Dean of Students at Perry High School. Coach Frantz lives in Perry Township with his wife Dawn and kids Jasmine, Jocelyn, and Jillian. 

Varsity Assistant- Larry Mizer

Larry has been coaching girls’ basketball for over 40 years. Throughout those years he has served as an assistant girls’ basketball coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Central Catholic High School, Perry High School, and GlenOak High School.  Larry was named District IV Assistant Coach of the year in 2011. Larry is excited to be back at Perry coaching girls’ basketball this year.  He is a retired teacher’s assistant from Perry Local Schools.  Larry and his wife Diane have 3 adult children, (all Perry grads) and 4 grandchildren.

Varsity Assistant- Michael DeMario

Michael is a 2015 graduate of Central Catholic High School. While in High School, Michael played baseball where his team won the OHSAA State Championships his senior year. He was awarded All-Ohio 2nd team honors. After high school, Michael attended Kent State University where he studied fashion Merchandising and earned a minor in Marketing. He currently works for his family's business, and is excited to join the Perry Panthers Basketball team! 

Varsity Assistant- Darren Vanest

A proud 2019 graduate of Perry High School, Coach Vanest knows what it means to wear “Perry” across his chest. During his time as a student-athlete, he competed in multiple sports playing baseball as an outfielder, football as a wide receiver and defensive back, basketball as a power forward, and running the 4x4 relay in track and field. He was also a dedicated member of the Perry High School Athletic Council. Coach Vanest was honored with the Thomas G. Winkhart Memorial Scholarship in 2019 and received the Award of Excellence from the Ohio High School Athletic Association for his leadership and dedication both on and off the field. After high school, he completed an internship with the Columbus Division of Police in 2020 before attending the University of Akron Police Academy, where he earned his Ohio Peace Officer Training Certificate in 2022.  Coach Vanest joined the Perry Township Police Department on August 18, 2023. Now, when he’s not serving the community with the Perry Township Police Department, Coach Vanest brings that same energy, discipline, and leadership to the basketball court helping student-athletes grow in skill, character, and teamwork. Off the court, Coach Vanest enjoys spending time with family and friends. He takes great pride in being back home in Perry, giving back to the community that helped shape him, and helping the next generation of Panthers succeed both on and off the court. 

8th Grade Coach-Joe Frantz Sr.

7th Grade Coach-Caroline Kuhn and Tim Murphy