Notre Dame’s opening for a tight end coach was not open very long. Just two days after John McNulty left Notre Dame to become the offensive coordinator at Boston College, Notre Dame fill his position on the Irish staff with West Virginia co-offensive coordinator Gerad Parker according to Pete Thamel.
Just earlier today Tom Lemming tweeted that Tim Brewster was interested in the job, but Notre Dame moved fast to secure Parker, who Marcus Freeman previously worked with during his time at Purdue. Parker coached tight ends and wide receivers while serving as the recruiting coordinator for the Boilermakers while Marcus Freeman was there. Parker also served as the interim head coach of that staff following the dismissal of Darrell Hazel.
Most recently, Parker was the co-offensive coordinator at West Virginia. He previously held the title by himself before the Mountaineers added Graham Harrell to their staff. In between, Parker spent two years at Duke on David Cutcliffe’s staff – one as an analyst and another as a wide receivers coach. He coached wide receivers at Penn State in 2019.
Parker is the second assistant coach added by Marcus Freeman who has some recruiting coordinator experience in addition to their primary responsibility as well. Brian Mason, new special teams coach for the Irish, also has experience in that department. Freeman has stressed multiple time how he will demand that all of his assistants be relentless recruiters. Following the departure of Mike Elston to Michigan, Freeman needs a new recruiting coordinator too and now has multiple options on the staff with experience.
Parker is also another assistant under 40 years of age for the Irish coaching staff. At the moment, the only member of the staff over 40 is new offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.
Parker inherits one of the deepest and most talented tight end rooms in the country highlighted by future first-round pick Michael Mayer. The Irish added to that room with two blue-chip recruits in the class of 2022 – Eli Raridon and Holden Staes. They join Mitchell Evans, Cane Berrong, and 5th year senior George Takacs.
With the addition of Parker and Deland McCullough who is reportedly set to be the next running backs coach for the Irish, there is now just one opening left on Marcus Freeman’s first staff at Notre Dame – defensive coordinator. There’s been a lot of smoke surrounding Al Golden and the opening, but the position remains open.
No Tim Brewster. No Tony Alford.
“You can’t always get what you want, but . . . you just might find, you get what you need.”
(Mick Jagger)
Is this a done deal? Did they press release hiring Jagger?
Breaking Rumor: Ignore earlier breaking rumor.
We’ll update this story as rumors become availale.
My guess is since the DC hasn’t been named yet, the Bengals Coach Al Golden has to be at least in prime consideration. And at least two recent hires were recruiting coordinators at previous schools. A challenging schedule w/ BYU, Clemson, BC w/ McNulty and Jurkovic, the new SC still w/ those great athletes but now w/ a coach, and the Al Washington, Marcus Freeman homecoming return to Ohio State., and of course the annual surprise game that comes down to the final possession. That’s one half of what could be a difficult season. Let’s see how patient ND is w/ Freeman. Go Irish!