WVU Coach highlights positive personal relationship he has with Parker, including their connective roots in Kentucky; move comes as Parker rebounds coaching career this past season at Penn State football, leading their offensive program to major prominence at the national level.
January 12, 2020 – written by WADE QUEEN
NEWLY HIRED WVU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR COACH & LAWRENCE COUNTY NATIVE GERAD PARKER.
The West Virginia football program in Morgantown, W. Va., made some major moves in the coaching staff, hiring two new coaches, one of whom is a well-known native of Lawrence County.
In a press release by the WVU Sports Information Department in Morgantown, W. Va., West Virginia University football coach Neal Brown has announced that Gerad Parker will join the Mountaineer football coaching staff as the offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach.
Coach Brown made the following quoted remarks in the press statement about the hiring of Gerad Parker:
“I’m excited to add Gerad to the coaching staff at West Virginia,” Coach Brown said. “I have known him for many years, and we have similar roots in the state of Kentucky. He brings years of successful experience, not only on the field but also as a recruiter who has covered a lot of territory. He will make an immediate impact on our staff. I look forward to him and his wife, Kandi, and their family becoming a part of Mountaineer football.”
Gerad Parker comes to West Virginia after serving as the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach at Penn State in 2019. The Nittany Lions offense averaged 35.8 points per game, ranking No. 15 nationally, was No. 21 in red zone offense (.904) and averaged 13.3 yards per completion, ranking No. 33 nationally.
One of his receivers, K.J. Hamler, led the team with 56 catches for 904 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named All-Big Ten First Team as an all-purpose player by Sports Illustrated and was a second-team honoree on several lists.
A native of Louisa, Kentucky, Gerad Parker played at Lawrence County High School and set state receiving records with 238 catches, 4,814 yards and 52 touchdowns in 2000. Gerad Parker signed a full scholarship, with the Kentucky Wildcats football team and played for five seasons.
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West Virginia University also announced that Jeff Koonz will join the Mountaineer coaching staff as the special teams coordinator/inside linebackers coach.
Coach Neal Brown made the following statements in the press release about Jeff Koonz becoming part of the program.
“Jeff is an outstanding addition to our coaching staff,” Brown said. “He brings a vast amount of experience coaching linebackers to our defensive staff and a familiarity with the Big 12 Conference having coached at Texas and Iowa State. His recruiting experience in different regions of the country also will help bolster our overall efforts. We are looking forward to having Jeff, his wife, Maura, and their family join the Mountaineer Football program.”
