Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 9, 1941, Iowa Defensive Coordinator Norm Parker was born. The man behind the hard-nosed Hawkeye defenses from 1999 to 2011, Parker left a legacy as one of the most beloved assistant coaches in University of Iowa history.
Born and raised in Michigan, Parker spent his college days on the gridiron at Eastern Michigan. After graduation, he transitioned to coaching and made stops at Eastern Michigan, Wake Forest, Minnesota, Illinois, East Carolina, Michigan State, and Vanderbilt before joining Kirk Ferentz’s staff at Iowa. Taking over a defense that ranked 98th out of 114 while giving up 31.5 points per game, Parker remade the Hawkeye defense.
By 2003, the Hawkeyes grew into one of the best defenses in the country. Ranking 7th in scoring (16.2 points), 8th against the run (92.7 yards), and 16th (314.5 yards) in total defense, Iowa started to hang its hat on a dominant defense.
During Parker’s tenure at Iowa, the Hawkeyes finished in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll four times and captured two Big Ten Titles. In 2011, the American Football Coaches Association named Parker the Assistant Coach of the Year. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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