IOWA CITY — Phil Parker, defensive backs coach at Iowa the past 13 seasons, has been promoted to defensive coordinator, the Hawkeyes announced Tuesday.
In addition, Darrell Wilson and Reese Morgan will take over new assignments on the Hawkeye coaching staff. Wilson, who has served as Iowa’s linebackers coach for 10 seasons, will coach the defensive secondary. Morgan, a member of the staff for 12 seasons, will move from coaching the offensive line to the defensive line.
“Phil, Darrell and Reese have all done an outstanding job in our program for a significant period of time,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I am confident they will have a very positive effect on our team as we transition forward.”
Parker, a member of the Iowa staff since Ferentz took over as head coach, replaces Norm Parker, who retired following last season. The Parkers are not related.
Phil Parker was named by Rivals.com in March 2011 as a first-team member of its College Football Assistant Coach Dream Team.
Over the past four seasons, Iowa is tied for fifth in the nation with 72 interceptions. Iowa’s secondary in 2011 was led by senior Shaun Prater of Omaha, who earned first team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season, and junior Micah Hyde, who earned second-team honors.
Wilson has coached all the linebacker positions and special teams after working with special teams and outside linebackers in his first six seasons with the Hawkeyes. Wilson was named by Rivals.com in February 2011 as one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation.
Morgan has served as Iowa’s offensive line coach the past nine seasons after spending the first three as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.
Under the direction of Morgan, junior tackle Riley Reiff earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2011, along with earning All-America recognition from several media outlets. In addition, senior guard Adam Gettis was named second-team All-Big Ten and junior center James Ferentz and senior tackle Markus Zusevics earned honorable mention recognition.
During his early years at Iowa, Phil Parker was the “yeller” of the staff, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported. His sideline fireworks didn’t blow his players up, however.
“It’s a lot of tough love,” senior strong safety Miguel Merrick said in a 2006 story. “As a freshman, you don’t think he likes you. As you get older, you definitely understand where he’s coming from and the things he expects from you.”
Parker was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten safety at Michigan State (1983 to ’85).
“Phil was one of the toughest players we ever had,” said former Michigan State coach George Perles, MSU’s head coach from 1983 to 1994, in a Cedar Rapids Gazette story. “He threw his body around like nobody I’ve ever seen. He was as tough as any defensive back we ever had to the point where he hit people so hard he’d give himself a concussion. He had quite a few concussions.”
The concussions became such an issue that MSU coaches never let Parker go full bore in practice. They fitted him with a helmet from the Naval Air Force.
“What Phil teaches is something that’s very difficult to teach, and that’s toughness,” said Perles, who gave Parker his start in coaching as a graduate assistant in 1987.
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