Gerad Parker breaks down the process of getting offensive coordinator job

After Notre Dame saw offensive coordinator Tommy Rees leave for Alabama, it saw its top two candidates come off the board. That led Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish to look in-house, ultimately deciding to promote tight ends coach Gerad Parker to the role.

The process took multiple turns, but one thing stayed the same. Parker was ready if Freeman gave him a call.

“If my job were to maybe help with how we are going to construct certain interviews, then I want to provide help that way,” Parker said during his introductory press conference. “Then, when my mind would drift late at night when I was wondering, I put notes in my phone. And I’m sure he knew that, if he knows me at all. I would constantly have things that I would put in, and if those things were just things that I kept in my phone for next year or the year after or the year after, so be it.

“But my phone’s decorated with those. And when you put those in, you always stay prepared because what a sin it would’ve been if Marcus Freeman calls my number to do an interview and I’m not ready. That’s how I feel, that’s how I felt about it and what a shame had I not been ready for this opportunity.”

Parker appeared on multiple hot boards after Rees’ departure as a potential in-house candidate, especially considering his experience as offensive coordinator at West Virginia from 2020-21. But the sense was the program would look outside to make a splash. He remained supportive of whatever Freeman wanted to do — whether it be sitting alongside the head coach and top target Andy Ludwig at a hockey game or getting his own interview for the job.

He prepared for every scenario.

“I think, as you go through a process and go through the things we’ve all been through in this coaching career, the first thing you have to do is make sure you’re not letting your ego get in the way,” Parker said. “As we went through the process together and things changed, the No. 1 thing is do what’s best for Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman. That’s my job, to serve the message of the head coach and go through. You do that, you do that job well, because that was the job that was called. When that transformed, you also want to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to flinch at the opportunity to be the offensive coordinator here’ because of the work put in before this to put yourself in position because as we’re going to ask our players, when your number is called, be prepared.

“All I knew that I could control through the process was help feed the message of the head coach and get us to a great decision. If that changes gears, when it did, it was also, be able to give to him my confidence, my direction and what we would do if we wanted to move forward that way. That’s what I tried to do.”

Rees’ departure seemed like a surprise considering he left his alma mater to work for Nick Saban at Alabama. Parker acknowledged his relationship with him and said he took a beat to think about his decision to leave.

Then, it was time to get down to business — wherever Freeman needed him.

“I’ll tell you this, No. 1, me and Tommy had a great relationship,” Parker said. “The first piece of that is when he left, ‘Aw, shucks, I hate to see him go.’

“Then, you transition to what is the direction and the times, the conversations you get to have with Marcus and say, ‘Where you headed with it? How can I help?’ And I mean that, and he knew I meant it. Then, there’s a little piece where you let your mind drift because I’ve always been ambitious. We all are. Ambition has a price. But also, put a plan together.”