Christian Parker Has Chance To Be "Outstanding" Coach

Todd Lyght isn’t going to pick his successor and the outgoing Notre Dame defensive backs coach knows his alma mater will attract a great field of candidates.

Former Irish defensive analyst Christian Parker would qualify as such, at least according to Lyght.

“I love his energy,” Lyght said of Parker, who is in his first season as defensive quality control coach for the Green Bay Packers. “I love his passion for the game. He was a really, really smart football player, great teacher.”

Communication is key for a coach at any level, especially at the college level and that’s what Lyght saw from Parker, who spent the 2017 season at Notre Dame.

“He was really patient with the student-athletes,” Lyght said. “When they would ask questions, he would articulate his answers. If they didn’t quite understand, he would try to explain in different ways so it was very relatable to the players.

“I think he did a really good job in terms of his communication with the guys. He’s the type of guy who is going to create positive synergy between the coaching staff and the players, which is going to make him a really good coach in the future.”

Parker played wide receiver and cornerback at Richmond from 2009-12. He began his coaching career tutoring defensive backs at Virginia State in 2013 and 2014 before doing the same at Norfolk State in 2015 and 2016.

“I think he has really strong recruiting ties, not only in the Virginia area, but on the East Coast as well,” said Lyght.

After his stint in South Bend, Parker spent a year as a defensive analyst at Texas A&M.

The combination of coaching and potential recruiting chops is why Lyght believes Parker’s ceiling is so high.

“First of all, Christian is a very smart young man,” Lyght said. “He’s coached at several different levels. In terms of recruiting, he does a really good job of watching film and identifying the traits that are going to help a player and the program be really, really good immediately and in the future.

“His evaluation skills and his ability to coach at a really high level are going to give him a chance to be outstanding if he’s given the opportunity.”

Lyght has no clue who Brian Kelly and Clark Lea will choose to replace him, but believes Parker would certainly qualify as a good choice.

“I would love to see him get the opportunity. I know there are a lot of great candidates and for him to get the opportunity, I think it would be wonderful, not only for him but the school.”