Phil Parker is no stranger to coaching accolades.
The longtime Iowa defensive coordinator won the Broyles Award in 2023, given to the top coordinator in all of college football. Hawkeye fans know how good Parker is at his job, and it seems like members of the national media are catching on as well.
Parker’s defense was excellent in the Hawkeyes’ 41-3 rout of Minnesota over the weekend. Iowa held the Golden Gophers to 133 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers, recorded four sacks, and scored a touchdown, courtesy of a Zach Lutmer pick-six. The defense’s performance was overshadowed a bit by the overall dominance displayed by Iowa, but CBS Sports took notice of how they played.
Matt Zenitz, a senior college football reporter for CBS Sports, put together his conference coordinators of the week for Week 9, and gave Parker a lot of respect.
Zenitz named Parker as the best coordinator in the Big Ten conference in Week 9. Given the talent and pedigree of some coaches in the Big Ten, this is a big deal and a nice nod toward one of the best and longest tenured defensive coordinators in the country.
Parker’s unit will be tested immensely in two weeks when a talented Oregon team makes the trip to Kinnick Stadium for a huge conference matchup. If the Hawkeyes’ defense can replicate their performance from the Minnesota game against the Ducks, Parker should find his name on this list once again.
That may seem like a big ask, but if Iowa fans have learned one thing over the years, it’s to never doubt what a Phil Parker-coached defense is capable of.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football’s Phil Parker honored by CBS as Big Ten’s top Week 9 coordinator
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
