Tyler Parker joined the South Alabama staff as director of operations in April 2018 and was promoted to assistant coach in May 2019. In his role as an assistant, he is involved in all coaching duties — including scouting and recruiting — with an emphasis on developing the Jaguars’ guards.
Last year, the Jaguars finished 21-12 (9-7). Parker’s work in developing the guards really shined, as the tandem of Charles Manning Jr. and Jay Jay Chandler were named to the second-team Sun Belt all-conference and the NABC All-District team. Each finished the regular season as top-8 scorers in the conference.
In 2020-21, USA finished 17-11, its third straight season with at least 17 or more wins. The Jags finished 10-7 in the conference, finishing fifth in the regular season. His efforts assisted Michael Flowers to a first-team all-Sun Belt honor and Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
In 2020, Parker was part of a staff that guided South to a 20-11 finish, the team’s first-20 win season since 2008-09, and a 13-7 mark in the Sun Belt Conference as the Jags secured the second seed in the league tournament. His efforts helped Herb Magee end his career ranked among the top 10 in school history in three-point field goals and top 15 in assists, while Chad Lott finished among the league leaders in scoring (14th, 13.5 ppg), rebounding (17th, 5.6 rpg) and field-goal percentage (2nd, 55.8%). Andre Fox added 12.2 points per contest and shot over 34 percent while leading the team with 54 field goals from beyond the three-point arc as well, and in his first year at the collegiate level Tyreke Locure took over as a starter the final month of the season and ended the campaign with five games scoring 10 or more points.
In his first season at South Alabama, Parker coordinated team travel, ordered team apparel and acted as a liaison for the program with the athletic department.
He came to South with five seasons of experience as an assistant coach, including tutoring two conference players of the year while having seven players continue their careers overseas.
In his lone season at Nicholls on the staff of current Jaguar head coach Richie Riley, the Colonels won a share of the Southland Conference title — the program’s first league crown since 1995 — and posted their most wins in a season in 20 years.
Previously, he was the associate head coach at Shorter for two seasons. In his second season, the Eagles started 8-1 en route to a 17-12 overall record. Phil Taylor was named the Ron Lenz National Player of the Year by the DII Conference Commissioner’s Association after leading all of Division II in total points (919), free throws made (297) and free throws attempted (344), and all NCAA divisions in scoring with 34.0 ppg.
In the 2016-17 campaign, he served as interim head coach for three games and compiled a 2-1 record.
Parker was a member of the Faulkner men’s basketball team from 2008-12 before moving into a coaching role. In two seasons at his alma mater, the Eagles went 43-17, including a 29-6 record and a second-round appearance in the NAIA national tournament in 2012-13.
The following season, Parker was the associate head coach at Crowley’s Ridge (Ark.) College. He recruited the team’s leading scorer and the Pioneers set a new school record for wins in a season.
Parker started at guard for Faulkner during the 2011-12 season when they made a semifinal appearance at the SSAC Tournament.
The Huntsville, Ala., native led Madison Academy to three straight state titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
A 2012 graduate with a degree in business management from Faulkner, he also earned a master’s in business administration from Shorter in 2017.
Parker has a wife, Autumn.
