Notre Dame's new offensive coordinator Gerad Parker takes charge: 'That dude's crazy.'

SOUTH BEND — Gerad Parker is a big believer in show and tell.

For Notre Dame football’s high-energy offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, it isn’t enough merely to explain the intricate details of the craft. When it comes to conveying information, the former Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver sees great value in physically demonstrating along with verbally explaining.

“He’s the most hands-on coach I’ve ever had,” sophomore tight end Holden Staes said during spring practice. “His knowledge of the game is second to none. He’s taught me so much … in terms of the mindset stuff: pre-snap stuff, what’s going on, what I need to do with my feet.”

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It’s not just the sprints and pushups Parker will do at the start of practice sessions as the Irish go through their elaborate warmup routine. Parker, 42, gladly springs into action during individual position drills as he drives home his coaching points about this game of millimeters.

“We see him on the goal line just repping them out,” junior tight end Mitchell Evans said. “I’m like, ‘That dude’s crazy.’ I don’t know the story behind it, if he’s getting the juices flowing for practice or to get in the mode, get in the mindset, but it’s every day.”

Otherwise-monotonous film study in the Guglielmino Athletics Complexd always seems to be one play away from Parker putting down the coach’s clicker and jumping into his three-point stance.

“He played receiver back in the day, so he still thinks he’s got it in him,” Staes said with a sly smile. “If he wants you to run a route a certain way, he’s running the route in the meeting room, showing you where your eyes need to be to be deceptive on the cornerback, safety, whoever it may be.

“It’s just really hands-on teaching, and he knows what he’s talking about. You apply it to your game, and you do it on the field and you see it work.”

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Parker wasn’t the first choice to replace Tommy Rees after the former Notre Dame quarterback and offensive coordinator jumped to Alabama in early February.

Collin Klein of Kansas State and Andy Ludwig of Utah removed their names from consideration after being flown in to interview with Irish coach Marcus Freeman. Parker, however, might prove to be the best choice after a whirlwind week that resulted in his in-house promotion.

“He’ll make fun of me for saying this, but he’s got a little swagger to him now – a little more than he had before,” senior tight end Kevin Bauman said. “He’s got a little something to him now. But that, of course, comes with it. He’s got bigger responsibility now.”

Entering his second season at Notre Dame after previous coaching stops at West Virginia, Penn State, Duke, Cincinnati, Purdue, Marshall, Tennessee Martin and Kentucky, Parker connects easily with players, regardless of their background or position.

Before landing in South Bend as the replacement for John McNulty — who has since reunited with Rees at Alabama as an offensive analyst — Parker hadn’t coached tight ends since 2013-14 at Purdue. Yet he wasted no time refreshing his coaching technique and terminology to make sure he got the best out of All-American Michael Mayer and the rest of a deep, talented room at Tight End U.

“Coach Parker taught me a lot with my blocking and just footwork in general,” said sophomore tight end Eli Raridon, who ranked among the nation’s top run blockers at his position before a season-ending ACL injury last October. “We work on it every day, taking those first two steps vertical because I can tend to take a false step when blocking. And your hips are so important in blocking. He really emphasizes that.”

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Now it’s the entire offense that falls under Parker’s purview, although it can’t hurt to have assistants such as Gino Guidugli (quarterbacks), Joe Rudolph (offensive line), Deland McCullough (running backs) and Chansi Stuckey (wide receivers).

Guidugli and Rudolph have coordinator experience from their time at Cincinnati and Wisconsin, respectively, but the final say on Notre Dame’s offensive play-calling rests with Parker.

“There’s not a guy who has earned that more, who deserves that more than he has,” Bauman said. “This is obviously years in the making for him to get this opportunity. I know as an offense, as a team, we're excited for him. As tight ends, obviously, we're excited for him.

“There's something special about your position coach also being offensive coordinator, especially at Tight End U, where that's just something extra special. He's got a little extra swagger to him now, which is good. You need that.”

Parker’s willingness to jump into blocking drills and demonstrate exactly what he’s looking for remains part of his coaching style. The “Greek gods” under his care in the tight end room, as Stuckey famously called them last summer, appreciate that level of devotion.

“Just the passion he brings every day — it's someone who you want to play for, someone you want to perform for,” Bauman said. “He just has an energy to him. He truly cares about us. He loves us. Just from a relationship standpoint, I’ve never played for a guy that you (more) wanted to play for, perform for, be great for.”

Missing the final 10 games last season after a torn ACL, on the heels of a fractured leg that shortened his 2021 season, Bauman could easily have lost faith and become discouraged. Parker’s consistent support and attention wouldn’t allow that.

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“When you play, it's long days, it's a lot of meetings, a lot of practice time,” Bauman said. “A lot of hours go into this as people know, but it gets long at times. It's tough at times, and it's special when you know you're going to step into your meeting room and be energized. It's not a one-way street. We're giving that to him, too.

“There are days where it's got to go both ways, you know, but just to have a guy who always has so much energy, who you know truly cares, it just makes it that much easier to want to come in and work every day. How into it, how involved he is with us is great.”

Thursday night dinners at Chez Parker

Parker also knows his way around a grill. That doesn’t hurt either when it comes to building loyalty and trust among the well-nourished Notre Dame offense.

Thursday night dinners at the Parkers’ lakefront home are a made-to-order experience for guests and hosts alike.

“Oh, yeah, it’s amazing,” Raridon said. “He’s got that pool back there. He’ll usually grill out for us. In the summer we’d have a great day at the pool, he’d cook some burgers and hot dogs for us, and we’d play with his kids. It’s a great time there.”

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Not surprisingly, Parker is just as precise when wearing his chef’s hat as when he turns his OC’s ballcap backwards on the practice field.

“My preference on burgers is medium rare,” Raridon said. “I like pink in my meat. He did a good job. He’s great.”

Staes’ hot route at Chez Parker is an 8-ounce steak also cooked medium rare.

“He’s pretty good,” Staes said. “Right when he got promoted, I think he had us over maybe a week or two later. Having us get around his family, his wife, that’s always a huge emphasis for him. It’s been one since I got here and have gotten to know him. That hasn’t changed since he became offensive coordinator.”

Raised in sleepy Louisa, Ky. (pop. 2,652), a tight-knit town on the West Virginia border along the Big Sandy River and Tug Fork, Parker isn’t about to reinvent himself now. Quite naturally, he simultaneously disarms and engages with a soothing twang that even a newcomer from Texas can appreciate.

“He’s country,” said freshman wide receiver Braylon James of Round Rock. “He’s still got his little accent on him. It’s cool just hearing him talk. He’s just super energetic, really passionate about what he’s doing. He’s knowledgeable, and he knows what he’s talking about.”

Just to be sure the message takes hold, Parker is more than willing to demonstrate.

Follow Notre Dame football writer Mike Berardino on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Notre Dame football offensive coordinator Gerad Parker takes charge