Gerad Parker will join Penn State football as its new wide receivers coach, Athletics announced today. The program fired the former position coach, David Corley, a week ago after a season plagued by dropped passes.

“We are excited to add Gerad to our staff,” Franklin said in a release. “He has a comprehensive background and knows the Big Ten. He is a terrific fit for our staff, university and community. He has a great opportunity to come in and make a significant impact both on and off the field with a very talented position group! Gerad played wide receiver in the SEC and has shown he is a great teacher of the position, as well. His wide receiver groups have been able to overachieve throughout his coaching career.”

Parker spent the last two years at Duke, where he was the wide receivers coach for the 2018 season. He mentored players to All-ACC accolades and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and helped Duke wide receivers gain 2,252 yards through the air.

Before his tenure at Duke, Parker spent four seasons in the Big Ten, coaching tight ends and wide receivers at Purdue before briefly serving as interim head coach. He also coached alongside Penn State’s running backs coach, Ja’Juan Seider, at Marshall, and spent three seasons at UT-Martin coaching running backs and wide receivers.

“Coach Franklin has done great things at Penn State and has high expectations of where this program can go,” Parker said in a release. “Personally, I feel I have been called on this Earth to coach wideouts and help grow men, what better place to do that than Penn State, a place that is high in talent and has a chance to compete for championships.”