Dennis ParkerHead Football Coachdparker@tlu.edu(830) 372-8126Dennis Parker has returned to his Texas coaching roots as the new head football coach at Texas Lutheran University. Parker, 56, was named TLU’s 19th football coach.
“I think more than anything I am grateful for the opportunity to coach,” said Parker. “I am humbled to be at a school that has produced Tommy Mueller and Jim Wacker as coaches and to be at a school that has produced players like Mike Washington, Phil Dunne and D.W. Rutledge. I am honored and grateful and excited to work at making this an exciting and meaningful time in the young lives of the TLU players.”
“Dennis Parker has the leadership and coaching abilities to take a program that has a solid foundation, thanks to Tom Mueller, to build on that foundation and to take us to new heights” said Bill Miller, director of athletics at TLU. “Coach Parker is very connected to the Texas high school football coaches. He has been very successful in Texas football, and he is man with strong character and academic focus. We’re truly excited to welcome Dennis and his family to the TLU community.”
Parker has coached Mesa High School in Mesa, Ariz., for the last three seasons. Parker coached Mesa to a 3-7 record in 2004, a 5-5 mark in 2005 and a 7-4 record in 2006. Parker guided the Jackrabbits to the state playoffs in 2006. For Mesa, the playoff appearance was its first since 2000.
Parker has collegiate coaching experience as the head coach of NCAA Division I University of North Texas. He coached at North Texas for the 1991, 1992 and 1993 seasons. Parker was also an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State University from 1977 to 1981.
Parker won a state championship at Marshall High School in Marshall, Texas in 1990. Parker took the job at Marshall after serving as the offensive coordinator for Converse Judson on its 1983 state championship team.
While at Converse Judson, Parker coached for Texas Lutheran Hall of Famer Frank Arnold as Arnold’s offensive coordinator. Another TLU Hall of Famer, Rutledge, was the defensive coordinator at Converse Judson while Parker was the Judson offensive coordinator.
Current TLU Director of Athletics Bill Miller was the head baseball coach and an assistant football coach for Rutledge at Converse Judson. Miller, a TLU alum, has coached the Bulldog baseball team since 1993. Miller has served as the TLU director of athletics since 1999.
Parker has had football head coaching stops in Texas at San Antonio Edison High School, Marshall High School and Cleburne High School. He has been a Texas high school assistant football coach at San Antonio Edison, San Antonio Holmes and Converse Judson. He was named the Texas High School Coach of the Year in 1988 and in 1990.
Parker has served as athletic director at Marshall High School, Cleburne High School, Keller Independent School District in Keller, Texas, and Ector County Independent School District in Odessa, Texas.
Parker is an accomplished author and public speaker. He has developed seven curricula on teaching character and has performed more than 100 in-services for training teachers in character education.
Parker and his wife, Merry, lived in Seguin for three years while Parker coached at Converse Judson. The Parkers have two grown children, Kimberly and Sam.
TLU, an exclusively undergraduate university of the liberal arts, sciences and professional studies, is recognized by US News & World Report as one of America’s best comprehensive colleges and is included in The Princeton Review 2007 list of best colleges in the western United States.
