Troy tabbed Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker to be its next head coach on Monday.
Parker is replacing his former Kentucky football teammate Jon Sumrall, who left to become the head coach at Tulane earlier this month. Sumrall posted a 23-4 record in two seasons with the Trojans.
Parker has coached tight ends for the last two seasons at Notre Dame and added coordinator duties this season. Under his leadership, the Fighting Irish (9-3) ranked eighth in FBS with 39.1 points per game.
“Gerad Parker is a proven winner with an infectious personality and passion for success who has significant experience at some of the best programs in America,” Troy athletic director Brent Jones said. “He competed in the SEC as a player, has been a recruiting coordinator in the Big Ten and has coordinated highly productive offenses in the Big 12 and now at Notre Dame.”
The move leaves Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman looking for a third offensive coordinator in three seasons. Parker was the play-caller for Notre Dame in 2023.
Parker will be formally introduced at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“He understands the commitment to excellence that we have at Troy University and embraces the total student-athlete experience,” Jones said. “His proven pedigree will maintain our status as the leader in the Sun Belt Conference and the Group of Five. Gerad’s energy and dedication to building relationships with the community, fans and student-athletes will resonate with all of Trojan Nation.”
Parker, 42, was the interim head coach at Purdue for the second half of the 2016 season after Darrell Hazell was fired, losing all six games.
A former wide receiver at Kentucky (2000-04), Parker has also worked as the offensive coordinator at West Virginia (2020-21) and as a receivers coach at Penn State, Duke, Purdue and Marshall.
Troy (11-2), champions of the Sun Belt Conference, is scheduled to face Duke (7-5) on Saturday in the Birmingham Bowl. Defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato is the Trojans’ interim coach.
