Tag: Phil Parker

Iowa’s Phil Parker named Broyles Award finalist

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker has been named a finalist for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the nation’s top assistant.

Phil Parker received some well-deserved recognition on Monday. The Hawkeyes’ longtime defensive coordinator was named a Broyles Award finalist.

Presented annually to the nation’s top college football assistant, Parker is the lone defensive coordinator among the five finalists. Joining Parker as finalists are Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.

Parker was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award for a second straight year on Nov. 20. He will travel with fellow finalists to Little Rock, Ark., for the award ceremony on Dec. 5.

In his 12th season as the Hawkeyes’ defensive coordinator, Iowa’s defense is authoring another phenomenal season. The Hawkeyes have surrendered just 13 touchdowns in 12 games, which is tied for tops nationally alongside Ohio State. Iowa has allowed one touchdown or less in 10 of 12 games this season.

The Hawkeyes surrender 12.2 points per game to rank No. 4 in the country. Iowa ranks seventh nationally in total defense, limiting opponents to just 279.7 yards per contest. It’s the sixth year in a row that Iowa has ranked in the top 17 in total defense.

The Hawkeyes have held opponents to 400 yards or less in 23 straight games dating back to the 2021 season. That’s the longest active streak in the country.

Iowa ranks third in red zone defense (.708), fourth in team passing efficiency defense (99.46), ninth in passing yards allowed (174.3 yards per game) and 16th in rushing defense (105.6 yards per game).

A trio of Parker’s defenders this season—junior cornerback Cooper DeJean, senior linebacker Jay Higgins and senior defensive back Sebastian Castro—were named midseason All-Americans.

DeJean was named a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy, while Higgins was named a Butkus Award semifinalist.

Parker and Iowa get the chance to impress against a fellow finalist come Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. on Fox in the Big Ten Championship game versus Moore and Michigan.

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Iowa Hawkeyes defensive coordinator Phil Parker nominated for the Broyles Award

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker has been nominated for the Broyles Award. The Hawkeyes’ defense has been elite once again this year.

It may not be possible to overstate what exactly Phil Parker means to the Iowa Hawkeyes. The defensive coordinator somehow outdoes himself every single week and puts together a defensive showing that tops the previous one.

His work has earned him a nomination for the Broyles Award. This award is given out annually to the top assistant coach in America.

Parker’s deserving spot on this list comes from his defense being the key to Iowa’s success this season up to this point.

The numbers that Phil Parker’s defense is allowing are staggering, in a very good and low way. Iowa’s defense leads the nation in yards per play, surrendering just 4.00 yards per play. The Hawkeyes are No. 8 overall in the nation in yards per game, allowing just 281.5 yards per game.

Iowa is 19th in third-down conversions allowed, 10th in passing yards allowed per game with 168.8, tops in yards per completion allowed with 8.7, and ninth in passing touchdowns allowed with only nine.

On the ground, the Hawkeyes are also among the best. They are No. 23 in rushing yards allowed per game with 112.7, 12th in yards per rush allowed with 3.16, and are tops in America with just one rushing touchdown surrendered.

Iowa’s defense always has the talent it needs but talent only gets so far. Phil Parker takes that talent and elevates it to elite levels each week and each year.

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Phil Parker, LeVar Woods still an absolute bargain for Iowa

Even at $2.1 million combined salary, Iowa defensive and special teams coordinators Phil Parker and LeVar Woods are an absolute bargain.

The 2023 salaries for Iowa’s football assistant coaches were revealed in an article by Chad Leistikow and Steve Berkowitz for Hawk Central. It reveals two absolute bargains for the program.

Defensive coordinator Phil Parker headlines the group with the highest salary of $1.4 million. That figure is up from the $1.3 million Parker earned last year. It’s a 7.9% salary increase, which is about average amongst the coaching staff. He is the only Iowa coach making over a $1 million besides head football coach Kirk Ferentz of course.

It sounds weird to say that the highest-paid assistant coach, one that’s now making $1.4 million is at a bargain price, but it’s true for Parker. Phil Parker has to be one of the front runners for the best defensive coordinator in college football, and certainly won’t receive many arguments against him as the best defensive backs coach in the nation.

Under Parker’s direction, the Hawkeyes led the country in yards surrendered per play and ranked second nationally in both total defense and scoring defense in 2022.

Parker is one of the best in the nation in developing recruits into NFL players, while routinely fielding a stellar defense at Iowa. Last year his incredible defense helped carry a fledgling offense to an 8-5 record, but they certainly weren’t alone in that fight.

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

While so much attention and praise is given to Iowa’s defense, LeVar Woods deserves all the credit in the world for what he’s done with Iowa’s special teams. The Hawkeyes ranked among the top three in the Big Ten in punt and kickoff returns as well as punt and kickoff return defense. Iowa was third in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in net punting, while ranking second in the conference and 19th in the nation with three blocked kicks.

Punter Tory Taylor was named first-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele. Taylor also garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors. The Aussie averaged 45.4 yards per punt and saw 38 downed inside opponents’ 20-yard lines.

Meanwhile, freshman kicker Drew Stevens earned freshman All-America recognition from College Football News. The North Augusta, S.C., product connected on 16-of-18 field goal tries and all 24 of his PATs.

In addition to his work with Iowa’s specialists, Woods is also one of the Hawkeyes’ best recruiters. Players on the team, and those who were specifically brought in by Woods, have nothing but rave reviews about the special teams coordinator.

Woods is a guy many are envisioning as a future head coach, maybe even at Iowa after Kirk Ferentz eventually retires.  At $700,000, he is one of the biggest bargains in the nation. His impact on the program is truly irreplaceable.

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Pair of Iowa football assistants among nation’s top 10 coaches per Coach Rating Index

A pair of Iowa coaches find themselves inside the nation’s top 10 per the Coach Rating Index developed by Matrix Analytical Solutions.

Iowa fans are well versed in the football wizardry of both Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker and Hawkeye special teams coordinator LeVar Woods.

Now, a special set of numbers are backing up what Iowa Hawkeyes fans already knew: This duo is elite.

247Sports got a sneak peek into some incredible numbers. Matrix Analytical Solutions developed its Coach Rating Index in 2009 to measure the careers of all on-field coaches regardless of position.

Both Phil Parker and LeVar Woods find themselves inside the Coach Rating Index’s top 10 coaches nationally. First, a bit more about what exactly the Coach Rating Index is.

The Coach Rating Index  is “a massive grading system with over 30,000 individual unit profiles and over 250,000 annual coaching result reports. If a coach was designated in an on-field role in that time span in either the FBS or FCS levels, he is in the database with a career number rating & accompanying career star rating.”

Position coaches are “graded on the cumulative play-by-play effectiveness of their unit.” Coordinators are graded on per-play efficiency. Head coaches are “graded on their win and loss records broken down and weighted by difficulty/importance in nine distinct categories ranging from expected close margin games to how they perform in games with equivalent talent profiles.” – Brandon Marcello, 247Sports.

Its data is not available publicly, but 247Sports was granted exclusive access to select data. 247Sport’s Brandon Marcello broke down college football’s 10 best coaches using the Coach Rating Index.

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker checked in as the country’s No. 9 coach.

Phil Parker is the most overlooked defensive coordinator in the sport. He has coordinated Iowa’s defense since 2012, turning the Hawkeyes into one of the more consistent defenses of the last decade. He has coached consensus All-Americans, a Butkus Award winner and five defensive backs of the year in the Big Ten.

Despite an anemic offense, he has carried an Iowa program to bowl games with an impenetrable defense.

The Hawkeyes allowed only 3.99 yards per play in 2022, tying for the best mark in the sport in the last 10 years. – Marcello, 247Sports.

As Marcello pointed out, Phil Parker commanded arguably the greatest unit in Hawkeye history last season. Spearheaded by the Butkus Award winner in linebacker Jack Campbell, the Hawkeyes ranked second nationally in both total defense (270.8 yards per game) and scoring defense (13.3 points per game).

The Hawkeyes also ranked inside the top 12 nationally in pass efficiency defense (fourth), passing yards per game (sixth), first down defense (10th), third down defense (11th) and rushing defense (12th).

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Meanwhile, Iowa’s special teams were once again exemplary under the direction of Woods. The Hawkeyes ranked among the top three in the Big Ten in punt and kickoff returns, and punt and kickoff return defense. Iowa was third in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in net punting, while ranking second in the conference and 19th in the nation with three blocked kicks.

Punter Tory Taylor was named first-team All-America by the FWAA, Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele, while also earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. Taylor was second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally with a 45.3 average. Freshman kicker Drew Stevens led the team in scoring and earned freshman All-America recognition from College Football News.

Woods ranked No. 6 nationally in the Coach Rating Index.

Levar Woods transitioned from tight ends to special teams in 2017, leading the unit to consistent production and opportunistic turnovers. The Hawkeyes blocked three kicks in 2022, and their punt and kick returns ranked in the top three of the conference. Meanwhile, punter Tory Taylor was a first-team All-American on three lists and kicker Drew Stevens was a freshman All-American. In fact, Iowa has had at least one All-Big Ten first-teamer from special teams in each of the last three seasons. – Marcello, 247Sports.

Iowa fans don’t take it for granted, but it really puts things into perspective when you see a list like this. Hawkeye fans have two of the absolute best manning their defense and special teams.

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ESPN projects Iowa Hawkeyes among nation’s top 5 defenses over next 3 seasons

Phil Parker doesn’t rebuild, he reloads. That is why Iowa is among ESPN’s top defenses set up for success over next three years.

Whatever Phil Parker’s salary is, tear up the contract and give that man a blank check. His dominance and sustained excellence as the defensive coordinator of the Iowa Hawkeyes is unparalleled and a model of success.

With Parker at the helm, the Hawkeyes’ defense is consistently among the best in the nation. They don’t do it one way only either. They dominate in every aspect of the game.

Iowa’s defense is always among the top nationally in takeaways, fewest yards per play, best scoring defense, and turning turnovers into touchdowns. Iowa’s defense is often the key to winning games and they have the potential to do a lot of that.

This success and the replenishing of the recruiting pipeline have the Iowa Hawkeyes looking at years of success. ESPN has the Hawkeyes as the No. 5 defense built for success over the next three seasons.

Check out what has gotten the Hawkeyes to this pinnacle of defensive success along with what is already in place to keep them there and potentially even soar higher as a top defense in the nation.

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Xavier Nwankpa looking to become a leader in 2023

Though he may only be a sophomore, Xavier Nwankpa looks ready to lead a new generation of Iowa Hawkeyes football.

At this time last year, Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa was the new wide-eyed baby face on the team.

One of Iowa’s highest-ranked recruits in recent years, Nwankpa entered Iowa City with a star-like aura around his name. This was the future of the Hawkeyes’ secondary. This was the man to lead the new guard of Iowa’s defense.

While he didn’t play a ton as a freshman, Nwankpa was impressive when given his chance. During his lone start in the Music City Bowl, Nwankpa recorded eight tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. It was a star-making performance and just a taste of what fans could get from Xavier in 2023.

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Iowa’s defense was one of the best in the nation in 2022, lead by various experienced stars. Now, those stars are heading to the NFL. In the secondary specifically, the Hawkeyes lose two leaders in Riley Moss and Kaevon Merriweather.

Nwankpa detailed recently that his goal for this year is to transition from a baby-faced youngster to a true leader.

“Really trying to lead, help all the young guys. Get to the level that we need to be at as a defense just to keep what we’ve been doing,” Nwankpa said.

Of course, Nwankpa is doing his part this offseason to improve his overall game. The Pleasant Hill, Iowa, native is busting his backside to become the player he knows he can be.

True to the Iowa mentality, though, it is not just about one player. Everyone holds not only themselves, but their teammates around them to a high standard. It’s a true team effort, a brotherhood of Black and Gold lifting each other up.

While Nwankpa is only entering his sophomore season, it’s clear that he just gets it. He’s played with players like Moss and Merriweather who know what it takes to win in the Big Ten. He’s learned from a defensive coordinator in Phil Parker who knows the results that a true 11-man defense yields.

Nwankpa may not have played a ton his freshman year, but early in the offseason, that year in Iowa City has done wonders. He may be young, but Xavier Nwankpa is ready to lead a new generation of Iowa football.

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Iowa retains the Campbell Legacy with latest commit

The Campbell name is staying in Iowa City as Iowa football earns an in-state commitment from 2024 edge rusher Drew Campbell!

Iowa football earned a massive pledge for their 2024 recruiting class, securing four-star edge rusher Drew Campbell.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has been linked to Iowa for months, picking up a third 247Sports crystal ball prediction back in March. Of course, Campbell has been linked to Iowa City for much longer, his last name inseparable from the black and gold.

Drew Campbell is, of course, the younger brother of legendary Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell. Jack became the first Hawkeye to win the Dick Butkus Award this year, cementing his legacy as one of the best to ever play at Kinnick Stadium.

Campbell announced his commitment to Twitter on April 1st, and luckily for Hawkeyes fans, this was no April Fools joke. As the proud face of Hawkeye Nation Roy Higgins III described, Iowa City does indeed have a “diesel” coming.

The 2024 edge rusher chose Iowa over offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, and Northern Iowa. He also rejected interest from a budding Kansas program as well. Campbell said in an interview with Hawk Fanatic back in August that while his brother’s allegiance to the program would play no part in his decision, his success under Ferentz was certainly hard to ignore.

“Jack has no part in my decision, but his success certainly shows what Iowa can do for a player,” Campbell said then of his thoughts on Iowa.

Now, he’s the latest 2024 Hawkeye commit.

“I think one of the most important things is how they develop you into not only a great player but a great human,” Campbell told Inside the Hawkeyes’ Rob Howe yesterday on why he picked Iowa.

Here is everything you need to know about the Hawkeyes’ newest Campbell to join coach Phil Parker’s machine! Plus, a look below at his Hudl highlights.

Pro Football Focus names Phil Parker nation’s top defensive coordinator

Iowa prides itself on great defense, and that is apparent as Pro Football Focus named Phil Parker as the nation’s top defensive coordinator.

It is Phil Parker’s world and we are just lucky enough to be living in it. The defensive coordinator has turned his part of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ program into a nationally recognized powerhouse year after year. Iowa’s defense is constantly among the top in nearly every major statistical category.

The last few seasons have seen an Iowa team stonewall opposing offenses by shutting down the running game with great interior linemen and sensational linebacker play. Then, Iowa has been able to rely on their pass rushers and secondary when teams try—and fail—to air it out.

Iowa finished the 2022 season with the nation’s No. 2 scoring and total defense, surrendering just 13.3 points and 270.8 yards of total offense per game. The Hawkeyes ranked No. 6 in the country in passing defense (169.5 passing yards per game) and 12th nationally in rushing defense (101.3 rushing yards per game).

Due to his recent success, Pro Football Focus has named Iowa’s Phil Parker as the top defensive coordinator in the country. There technically has to be nine other names on a top 10 list, but one could argue the list could stop at Parker.

Some of the statistics from last season show just how special and vital Phil Parker is to Iowa. The Hawkeyes were the fourth-best defense in total yards allowed in 2022 (3,520), the best defense in yards per play (3.99), second-best in touchdowns allowed (17), and first in defensive touchdowns scored (6).

Parker will be back in 2023 with a defense expected to be among the best in the country once again. A myriad of talented playmakers return led by secondary stars Cooper DeJean and Xavier Nwanka, each of which found the end zone last season on interception returns.

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Iowa’s Phil Parker named Broyles Award semifinalist

Iowa’s Phil Parker is getting some well-deserved national love as a top assistant. Parker was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award.

Coming on the heels of a sensational 2021 season, the Hawkeyes’ defense is even better in 2022. As such, national flowers are in store for Iowa defensive coordinator and secondary coach Phil Parker.

Parker was named as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which honors the top assistant coach in college football.

It makes perfect sense why he’s one of the top names up for the award. Iowa allows just 4.01 yards per play, which is tops nationally. The Hawkeyes also rank in the top 10 nationally in several other prominent defensive categories. The Hawkeyes have four defensive touchdowns on the season, which ranks tied third nationally. That number should be five after Jack Campbell was robbed last week, but that’s beside the point.

Iowa ranks No. 5 in scoring defense, surrendering just 13.5 points per game. The Hawkeyes also rank No. 6 nationally in both passing defense (164.4 yards per game) and total defense (273.3 yards per game).

Iowa also ranks 17th nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 108.9 yards per game. The Hawkeyes have forced 20 turnovers, which ranks 23rd nationally. Of those 20 turnovers, Iowa’s 13 interceptions currently ranks 15th.

Iowa has held eight opponents to 10 points or less, the best for an Iowa defense since 1929. Five opponents have gained less than 200 yards total offense and seven have gained less than 100 rushing yards. Ten of 11 opponents have not reached their season scoring average and all 11 have failed to reach their total offense season average.

The Hawkeyes have surrendered just 14 defensive touchdowns all season (four rushing scores and 10 passing touchdowns). There’s star power littered across Parker’s defense, evidenced most recently by linebacker Jack Campbell earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

Parker joins the following assistants as one of the 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award: Florida State offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins; Penn State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Manny Diaz; Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham; Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh; Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Grubb; LSU defensive coordinator Matt House; Ohio State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jim Knowles; South Carolina assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo; North Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo; Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter; Georgia offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Todd Monken; USC defensive line coach Shaun Nua; TCU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley; and Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.

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Iowa Hawkeyes defense focused on itself, not worrying about picking up the offense’s slack

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker shrugged off any concerns about what the Hawkeyes’ offense may or may not be producing.

The Iowa defense has a simple mantra: focus on itself. At least that’s the message that Hawkeye defensive coordinator Phil Parker shared with reporters last week when asked if he ever feels like his defensive unit has to pick up Iowa’s offensive slack.

“My thought about the way we coach on defense is we’re looking for perfection on every play. So I don’t care what the score is. I could go off and we could win the game or lose the game. Everything is going to go on to what’s happened to that play and how did you do.

“And I’m going to evaluate you on that play: Are you giving me enough effort? Are you giving me hustle? Are you in the right positions? Are you making the right communications? Are you making mental mistakes, critical errors, leaving a guy open when you have a man-to-man? Those are the things that we coach on,” Parker said.

Defensively, Iowa has largely been terrific. The Hawkeyes currently rank No. 7 in total defense, surrendering just 265 yards per game. In the all-important category of scoring defense, Iowa actually ranks even better than that. The Hawkeyes are No. 3 nationally in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 9.83 points per game.

As Iowa travels to Ohio State for perhaps its biggest challenge this season, Iowa’s defense will once again need to be great to give the Hawkeyes a puncher’s chance.

“That’s all that we can control what our guys are doing. That’s our job. They all know it. Our job is to go out there and play the best that we can play to our ability. I think they’ve done that.

“I see no guys ever sitting there questioning anything that’s going on about — all they do is worry about, hey, you get off the field and get to the bench; let’s make sure we cover our stuff that we need to cover, and let’s get it corrected as fast as we can and make sure that we’re giving them enough information to help those guys on the field. That’s the way we look at it,” Parker said.

One of the areas Iowa can actually improve this week defensively is getting a stop to start the game. The Hawkeyes have surrendered opening scoring drives in each of the past three contests.

With its biggest test of the season looming, Parker served up his evaluation of the Hawkeyes’ defense so far.

“Well, I’m always looking to make sure that they’re playing better than the week before. You start looking at how many points you give up. This many, this many. That really doesn’t matter after a while.

“Hey, did you win or did you lose? That’s what it comes down to a little bit to everybody in the outside world. To me it’s the way they go about the game. How good this team can be? You know, don’t know. Don’t know. I think they still have room to improve to even be better than where we’re at right now.

“I think we gave up some cheap explosive plays that might have led into a touchdown or something like that. Obviously, you go all the way back to the Michigan game. You know, there are some things out there that we left on the table that I thought we could have done a better job. I’m still going to preach to these guys that, hey, we need to play well, and our standard keeps on going up every time you become a better football player, a better game. I want you to play your best game always on the next time,” Parker said.

Iowa kicks off against the Buckeyes from Ohio Stadium at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday on FOX.

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