The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Red Parker

Followed Cecil Ingram. Red Parker held Clemson at Regional Program I for 4 seasons.

The builder
56–59
1966–1976 · 2 stints
The CitadelClemson
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Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerTHE CITADELCLEMSONNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelThe Citadel, 1966: 4-6, Regional Program V1966The Citadel, 1967: 5-5, Regional Program V1967The Citadel, 1968: 5-5, Regional Program V1968The Citadel, 1969: 7-3, Regional Program IV1969The Citadel, 1970: 5-6, Regional Program IV1970The Citadel, 1971: 8-3, Regional Program IV1971The Citadel, 1972: 5-6, Regional Program IV1972+7.7Clemson, 1973: 5-6, Regional Program I1973Clemson, 1974: 7-4, Regional Program I1974Clemson, 1975: 2-9, Regional Program II1975Clemson, 1976: 3-6, Regional Program II1976-2.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

The Citadel, 7 seasons
+7.7
Regional Program V → Regional Program IV.
Clemson, 4 seasons
−2.3
Regional Program I → Regional Program II.

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

2–2 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Lou Holtz.

Rivalry record
2–2
50.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
18–18–2
47.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
South Carolina2–250%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Lou Holtz1–5
6 meetings, 1969–1975
’69 L’70 W’71 L’73 L’74 L’75 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
1–6 14.3%
National Program
6–17 26.1%
Regional Program
24–21 53.3%

Coaching career

1973–1976
Clemsoncaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program I
Red Parker held Clemson at Regional Program I for 4 seasons.

10th-best Clemson tenure of 10 by the numbers.

Followed Cecil Ingram (1970–1972) · succeeded by Charley Pell (1977–1978).

3 NFL Draft picks: Rick Harrell (1973), Jay Washington (1974), Bennie Cunningham (1976)

17–25
1966–1972
The Citadelcaretaker
Regional Program V → Regional Program IV
Red Parker moved The Citadel from Regional Program V to Regional Program IV in 7 seasons.

2nd-best The Citadel tenure of 4 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Bobby Ross (1973–1977).

1 NFL Draft pick: John Small (1970)

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