Coaching Candidate Profile: Christian Parker

Notre Dame still does not have a defensive coach to replace former corners coach Todd Lyght, who left the program following the 2019 season.

There are a number of strong candidates both internally and externally, but the first candidate I want to profile is one who is an external candidate that is quite familiar with Notre Dame.

Let’s take a look at the resume of Christian Parker, who is currently the defensive quality control coach with the Green Bay Packers.

Christian Parker resume:

Parker, who just turned 28 years old in December, served as the defensive quality control coach for the Green Bay Packers during the 2019 season, working with the secondary.

The Packers won the NFC North Division this past season, tying for the best record in the NFC by going 13-3. Green Bay defeated Seattle 28-23 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs but lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Green Bay ranked 9th in the NFL in scoring defense and 4th in the NFC. The Packers secondary was ranked as the 7th best in the NFL by Pro Football Focus despite having a starting lineup that was comprised of a rookie, a second-year player and a third-year player.

According to PFF, the Packers secondary ranked 3rd in interceptions (16), forced the 5th-most incompletions (60) on the season and ranked 4th in both opponent completion percentage and passer rating.

He was hired as a defensive analyst at Notre Dame after Mike Elko was hired as the defensive coordinator for the 2017 season. Parker worked with the Irish cornerbacks during his tenure.

Notre Dame ranked 61st in scoring defense, 79th in pass efficiency defense, 83rd in yards allowed per pass attempt, 96th in pass break ups and 101st in completion percentage allowed in 2016 before the arrival of Elko and Parker. With Elko, Lyght and Parker working with the secondary in 2017 the Irish improved to 31st in scoring defense, 46th in pass efficiency defense, 16th in yards allowed per pass attempt, 46th in completion percentage allowed and 27th in pass break ups.

When Elko left Notre Dame for Texas A&M after just one season he took Parker with him. The Aggies jumped from 87th in scoring defense the year before Elko arrived to 47th in his first season with Parker also on staff.

In the two seasons prior to arriving at Notre Dame, Parker worked at Norfolk State (2015-16). Parker coached the safeties in 2015 and the entire secondary in 2016, but was the recruiting coordinator both seasons.

Norfolk State ranked 25th in passing yards allowed, 31st in yards allowed per completion, 43rd in yards allowed per attempt and 62nd in pass efficiency defense in 2015, with Parker coaching just the safeties. During that season the Spartans gave up 18 passing touchdowns while picking off 12 throws.

The following season, with Parker coaching the entire secondary, the Spartans improved to 10th nationally in passing yards allowed, 5th in yards allowed per attempt, 7th in yards allowed per completion and 8th in pass efficiency defense. Norfolk State allowed 14 passing touchdowns while picking off 18 throws, which ranked 7th in the country.

According to his bio with the Packers, the Spartans had the 3rd and 4th best recruiting classes among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) during his two seasons running the recruiting operation. Parker left before the 2017 class was completed but he played a role early on in putting that class together. The 2017 class ranked 4th in the Boxtorow HBCU rankings. The following two seasons without Parker the Spartans failed to reach the Top 10 in the recruiting rankings.

Parker’s first coaching position was at Virginia State, a Division II program. He coached cornerbacks in 2013 and the entire secondary in 2014. Virginia State ranked 12th and 27th in scoring defense those two seasons, 12th and 20th in total defense, 20th and 31st in pass efficiency defense, 21st and 29th in pass yards allowed per attempt.

During those two seasons the Trojans allowed just 24 touchdown passes while picking off 28 throws.

Analysis

Parker doesn’t have a traditional resume for this kind of position. He has never been a full-time assistant coach at the Power 5 level, but there is a lot to like about his resume. Talking to sources in the coaching profession and you quickly realize that Parker is held in incredibly high regard.

One source called Parker a “stud” and said he was a “big time up-and-comer.” Another source noted Parker as being an extremely hard worker. “Great young man” was a reply from another source.

Parker’s secondaries at Norfolk State and Virginia State were highly productive in all the key areas. His track record as a recruiter is outstanding and he has an engaging personality. The fact Elko took him to Texas A&M after working with him for a year, and the fact Clark Lea and Notre Dame are interested in him, among others, for this opening speaks volumes about what both coaches felt about Parker’s coaching and recruiting prowess.

With veteran coaches like Lea, Mike Elston and Terry Joseph on staff it would make sense for Notre Dame to be willing to take a chance on a young and unproven - but very talented - football coach.

Notre Dame has also made recruiting the Mid-Atlantic region (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina) a much greater priority in recent seasons, and Parker brings a strong background in that region. When you recruit at the FCS and Division II level you are much more regionally focused, and Parker - a Virginia native - coached at a pair of in-state schools in Virginia, which meant he’s spent a lot of time getting to know coaches across the state.

That part of his resume certainly cannot be overlooked.

Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/IrishMaven/