WILLIAMSBURG — William & Mary Football Head Coach Mike London announced the hiring of Bill Parker ’04 to the Tribe’s defensive staff.
Parker, who coached at VMI the last three seasons, returns to Williamsburg after a standout playing career with the Tribe from 1999-03 when he earned first-team all-conference honors twice as a defensive back and had playing stints in various professional football leagues.
“Bill has a clear passion for working with student-athletes and was impressive in every interaction we had with him throughout the hiring process,” said London, who enters his fifth season at the helm of the Tribe. “Since entering the coaching ranks, Bill has been dedicated to honing his craft and has done so in a diverse set of experiences. Further, as an alumnus of our program, he has a clear understanding of what it takes to be successful in an environment that is challenging for championships while also expecting excellence in the classroom. I believe he is uniquely qualified to make an immediate impact and we are extremely excited to welcome him back home.”
Parker will serve on the defensive staff and coach the team’s nickel back position.
As an assistant on the Keydets’ staff, Parker served multiple roles, including Interim Head Coach during VMI’s head coaching transition this offseason. Prior to the 2022 campaign, Parker was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator and worked with the defensive backs. He also coached the running backs during his highly successful stint in Lexington that produced a SoCon title and back-to-back winning seasons.
Prior to joining VMI’s staff, Parker coached tight ends at South Carolina State in 2019. He also coached in the professional ranks as the safeties coach for the Tampa Bay Vipers (XFL) in 2019 and as the safeties coach for the Montreal Alouettes (CFL) in 2017-18.
Before joining the coaching ranks in a full-time capacity, Parker played professionally in the NFL and was a member of the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers. He also won a pair of Grey Cups with the Alouettes (2009, 2010). Throughout his CFL career, Parker returned home to Richmond during the offseason to coach the Richmond Revolution and the Richmond Raiders (AFL), where he served as a defensive coordinator, secondary coach and special teams coordinator.
Parker earned his undergraduate degree in sociology from W&M and was a valuable member of the Tribe’s 2001 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship team.
