Its Official: Anthony Parker Becomes Newest OHSAA Dual Basketball & Football Head Coach; Becomes One of Few To Make OHSAA History

 Its Official: Anthony Parker Becomes Newest Dual Basketball and Football Varsity Head Coach For One School

By Deon Cash 

Anthony Parker, one of the greatest football and two-sport star players to come out of Jefferson High School in Dayton, Ohio, has achieved some great success throughout his playing career.

Now he will do something that has been done very few times in OHSAA history.

In a historic moment, Parker has agreed to take over the boys varsity football coaching job after Chris Mobley decided to step down after last season.

This means Parker will be the head coach for the West Carrollton Pirates varsity football and basketball teams in each teams next season. He is currently the head coach for the varsity basketball team who holds a 4-4 record. 

 Parker spoke as he shared the news with his basketball team this week. 

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to rebuild our football program here.  I've really enjoyed my time here at West Carrollton so we'll rely heavily on the energy and excitement and experience we have from turning our basketball program around along with the strong football coaching staff we'll put together. 

Throw in the supportive West Carrollton community and the combination of the three will give our football program a legitimate chance to experience what high school football should look and feel like." 

Parker would also thank the West Carrollton officials and community. 

"This is a great position and great time for me and my family, and this is the place to be for me. We are so appreciative of how West Carrollton, the staff and the community on have treated us during our time here.  

Football was my first love and it will be a exciting challenge to see what we can do with the Pirates program. Overall I am ecstatic to be in this position."

What might suprise you is that Parker was a all-state QB at Jefferson HS and played for a couple years in the Pro Football Indoor League. He was a assistant coach for four years as well for some elite HS teams at Trotwood. 

Evan Ivory, the Athletic Director of West Carrollton,  spoke on Parker and why they selected him.

"Coach Parker has changed the culture here at West Carrollton in his 5 years here. He has been a great coach and role model, and we want to bring in more coaches and surround him with great people to help him in this process. 

We know what he will do with or wthout help, regardless.

 We also know there will be skeptics who don't believe. But we have the utmost faith in Coach Parker and we feel like he will revitalize the football program, much like he has done for the basketball program."

Parker has no doubt changed the basketball program, which had been mired in obscurity for over 15 years.

While it will be interesting to see how he is able to mentally keep himself ready for both seasons, Parker will coach the football team in 2023, and has said all of his basketball players will be playing football.

"We have gotten committments from most of the basketball players, so it should be a completely different look next season." Parker said. 

Parker has lit a fire under the West Carrollton organization and the hope is that in the new year, the West Carrollton can get their football program going in the right direction. 

Congrats to coach Parker and his staff on the historic announcement.