Former Penn State football assistant secures head coach position

Another Penn State football assistant has taken the next step in their coaching career. Many who come through the James Franklin coaching tree can find continued success after leaving Penn State. For Gerad Parker, that certainly is the case. The former Nittany Lion wide receiver coach has officially accepted his first head coaching opportunity with the Troy Trojans, announced earlier today.

Former Penn State football assistant secures head coach position

Gerad Parker played college football at the University of Kentucky, where he was a wide receiver. Although he didn’t light up the stat sheet on the field, he took the knowledge of the game and translated it into a career in coaching. He had stops at Purdue, East Carolina, Cincinnati, and Duke before a one-year stop with the Penn State football team in 2019.

At Penn State, Parker coached the wide receivers led by KJ Hamler and Jahan Dotson. In 2020, Parker was hired as the next offensive coordinator at West Virginia. Then he transitioned to Notre Dame as the tight ends coach before becoming the offensive coordinator before the 2023 season.

Now, Gerad Parker will get his first FBS head coaching opportunity with Group of Five powerhouse Troy.

Welcome to the Troy Family, @GeradParker1!

📰 – https://t.co/bA6eCjL6HK#OneTROY ⚔️🏈 pic.twitter.com/ttBGpQWCe1

— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) December 18, 2023

The 2019 Nittany Lion wide receivers

The 2019 season was so enjoyable to watch. It was Sean Clifford’s first year as a starter, but the offense was explosive. Journey Brown burst onto the scene at running back. KJ Hamler was in his season year as a starter, and he accounted for 56 catches for 904 yards and 8 touchdowns. It was also Jahan Dotson’s first year as a starter; he racked up 27 catches for 488 yards and 5 touchdowns.

It makes you think back to a time when the wide receivers were explosive and dynamic. One can only hope the Nittany Lions and James Franklin will turn the page and recreate the same magic in 2024.