On the heels of winning the Broyles Award, a trophy given out to the nation’s top assistant each year, the Iowa Hawkeyes defensive coordinator continues to receive more recognition for his defensive prowess.
Phil Parker has most recently been named a member of the 247Sports All-Assistant Team for the 2023 college football season. He was chosen as the top defensive coordinator as they built out a staff of the nation’s best coordinators and position coaches.
All Parker does is develop top-tier defenses at Iowa, and in 2023 he may have coached his best yet. The Hawkeyes’ top-five defense was the program’s best since 2008, and it earned him honors with the Broyles Award and 247Sports’ Defensive Coordinator of the Year. His defense carried one of the nation’s worst offenses to transform Iowa into a 10-win team despite ranking 130th nationally in scoring.
Iowa’s defense allowed only 15 touchdowns in 13 games while holding opponents to 13.2 points per game (No. 4 nationally). Despite the Hawkeyes’ offense struggling to score points and stay on the field, Parker’s defense allowed only 18 plays of 20-plus yards on 896 snaps, the best mark in the country. – Brandon Marcello, 247Sports
Phil Parker didn’t simply have to keep Iowa in games this year. More often than not, his defensive unit had to be the reason that the Hawkeyes outright won games this year.
Parker’s defense is exceptionally fundamental, doesn’t make mistakes, rarely commits penalties, and as previously stated, doesn’t get hurt by the big play very often. He also has coached them to be opportunistic. When the ball is tipped in the air or loose on the ground, the Hawkeyes have gained a sixth sense to come away with it under Phil Parker.
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