If Gerad Parker can prove himself, why not keep the young coach around?
We all know by now, Hazell has been canned. T-Mill has listed some candidates I think would both be good fits in West Lafayette, with P.J. Fleck and Jeff Brohm. Fleck the motivator and great recruiter, Brohm the air it out guy, bringing basketball to grass back, very similar to Tiller.
I am with T-Mill, Brohm could bring back the Cradle of Quarterbacks, while Fleck could bring in a completely new style and era to Purdue football. I am on the fence with bringing in guys from small schools, but both of these guys seem to know what they are doing.
But, what about the man in charge right now? Gerad Parker. His name should be listed right? Many of us Boiler fans fell in love last week, as he came out throwing all over the vaunted Nebraska secondary, Lockdown U as they liked to be called. Parker came in as green as possible and didn’t waver. He went for it twice on 4th down, showed some solid game management skills that we lacked with Hazell and most importantly, the players were motivated to play. Here is his resume:
Gerad Parker
Current Job: Interim Head Coach Purdue University
Current Salary: $175,000(Possible raise with interim tag)
Buyout: N/A
Age: 35 Years Old
Young, unheralded, fiery, do I need to continue. This weekend will be very telling of what type of coach he is. The team expended so much energy last week, can we get back on track and upset a good Penn State football team? If we can people might be clamoring to keep Parker, such as myself.
He has done a nice job, he came in and changed a few things that didn’t make sense from the Hazell era. The biggest that I read, is Hazell would watch film on opponent Sunday with the team instead of Monday. That gives the assistants nearly no time at all to scout. Now, the players get a day of rest and get film prepared on Monday, rather than just “winging it”.
Parker has high praise from current players and past, most notably by our beloved hometown hero, Danny Anthrop. This is what Danny had to say about Parker when he was announced as the Interim Head Coach.
Gerad Parker is the best coach I've ever had, you would run through a brick wall for him and he'd do the same for you.
— Danny Anthrop (@DannyAnthrop) October 16, 2016
Getting a endorsement from one of our hardest working Boilers to date is huge, if he is good with Danny, then he is good with me. The players seem to just love the guy, and his passion on the sidelines shows.
You know who else was a Wide Receiver Coach, turned Interim Head Coach, turned full time Head Coach? Dabo Swinney. He has turned out alright, put some young guys around him and they have dominated recruiting. Speaking of, Dabo, he gave our guy Gerard a call the other night to give him some tips on how to approach all of this. 26 minutes of just talking. During the season, I would assume Dabo’s wife barely gets 26 minutes to just talk with Dabo.
If Parker can get us to a bowl, I believe without a doubt, Bobo will consider him. While young, he shows maturity. While inexperienced, he gives a presence on the sideline. The players love him, all you need is athletes to buy in and you have a shot. So, why not?