Marcus Freeman releases statement on hiring of Gerad Parker as offensive coordinator

After a long, winding offensive coordinator search, Notre Dame decided on an in-house candidate. Gerad Parker is moving up to the role to replace Tommy Rees, and Marcus Freeman made the hiring official Saturday.

Parker wasn’t Notre Dame’s first choice for the role. The Fighting Irish also interviewed Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein, but he decided to stay in Manhattan. Then, they talked with Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig and, although buyout issues were an issue, ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported he got “cold feet” and opted to stay.

Now, it’s Parker’s job, and Freeman released a statement on the hire as part of the announcement.

“I am excited to announce Gerad as our new offensive coordinator,” Freeman said in a statement. “I know firsthand the person, teacher, recruiter and innovative football mind he is. I look forward to watching our offense flourish under Gerad’s leadership and direction.”

More background on Gerad Parker

Last year was Parker’s first as tight ends coach following two years as the offensive coordinator at West Virginia. Under his watch in 2021, the Mountaineers ranked ninth out of 10 teams in the Big 12 in scoring offense with 25.2 points per game and eighth in total offense, averaging 371.5 yards per game.

The decision to promote Parker comes the same day Notre Dame hired Wisconsin assistant Gino Guidugli to be the new quarterbacks coach.

Parker played wide receiver at Kentucky from 2000-04 and had 168 receiving yards to his name in 2004. He started coaching at the high school level after graduation before returning to Lexington as a graduate assistant in 2007. He then worked as the passing game coordinator and recruiting coordinator at UT-Martin from 2008-10.

After a stint as the wide receivers coach at Marshall from 2011-12, Parker latched on at Purdue from 2013-16, where he worked as recruiting coordinator, wide receivers coach and tight ends coach before he went 0-6 as the interim head coach in 2016. It was in West Lafayette where Parker met Marcus Freeman, who was the linebackers coach and eventually defensive coordinator.