Whatever Phil Parker’s paycheck is, it isn’t enough. The Iowa Hawkeyes need to give him a blank check, and a black pen, and tell him to write his number he needs never to leave the black and gold.
Phil Parker has built Iowa’s defense into a unit that isn’t just good each year but is among the best in the country and known for the stingy play in making life hard for opponents. In 2023, Parker made life almost impossible for Iowa’s opponents to the tune of a measly 13.23 points per game allowed.
His work won him the Broyles Award, a trophy given to the top assistant in America each year. He has now also been named the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year.
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Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker becomes the third Iowa assistant to receive the honor, joining Norm Parker (2013) and Ron Aiken (2002).#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/XKUbN6gnFo
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 15, 2023
Part of what makes Phil Parker’s defensive success so unique is that he does it without the huge recruits that some of the other top defenses get every year. Sure, he can recruit, and at this point, if you are good at defense, you should want to come to Iowa for the robust pipeline of talent they ship to the NFL.
Parker succeeds with often-overlooked recruits that he gets every single ounce of talent out of. He teaches fundamentals, responsibilities, and playing as a unit as opposed to as a singular talent. His work at Iowa deserves every ounce of recognition and award there is.
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