When Sean Payton took over as the Denver Broncos’ new head coach last year, he kept just two members of the former coaching staff: defensive backs coach Christian Parker and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon.
Parker, 32, is considered a rising star on Denver’s staff and he might one day become a head coach. The next step for Parker on his path to a potential head coach job down the road would be a promotion to defensive coordinator.
The Broncos currently have Vance Joseph as their DC and at least one other team is interested in Parker as a DC candidate.
The New England Patriots are set to interview Parker for their DC opening after making Jerod Mayo their HC, according to multiple reports.
Parker joined Denver’s staff as a DBs coach in 2021 after serving as a defensive quality control coach with the Green Bay Packers from 2019-2020. Before that, Parker worked at four colleges from 2013-2018, including Notre Dame and Texas A&M before making a jump to the NFL.
Joseph has stuck with the Broncos through three different HCs — Vic Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett and Payton — and three different DCs — Ed Donatell, Ejiro Evero and Joseph. A coach staying with a team through three different staffs is unusual and a reflection of how well Parker is thought of in Denver.
Last year, Joseph, 51, praised Parker and spoke about the assistant helping him create a scheme with elements carried over from Evero and Fangio.
“He’s sharp, man,” Joseph said of Parker on June 14. “He’s sharp. He’s a star. He is a great partner to work with. As a veteran coach, I’ve coordinated for about seven years now. My tape is out there, so I’m looking for ways to do different things.
“[I’ve been] speaking with Christian every day and bouncing ideas off him from what he’s done with Vic and guys in the past has been fun. [We’re] making changes and growing off what they did last year. He’s smart, he works his butt off and his players love playing for him. He’s a star.”
Losing Parker would be a huge loss not only for the Broncos’ secondary but for the defense as a whole. Unless Denver parts ways with Joseph, the Broncos do not have an in-house position available for Parker. So one year after losing Evero, Denver is now in danger of losing Parker as well.
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