4/17/2024 | Men’s Basketball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic head men’s basketball John Jakus announced the hiring of Demond Parker as director of player development.
Parkers joins the Florida Atlantic men’s basketball staff after spending the 2023-24 season at Furman with the same title. For the Owls, he will serve as an assistant on the court.
Jakus and Parker coached together under Scott Drew at Baylor, the former as Associate Head Coach and the latter as a graduate assistant.
In two seasons at Baylor, Parker helped the Bears post a 50-18 overall record, a 25-11 mark in Big 12 Conference play, capture the 2022 Big 12 Conference title, and advance twice to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to arriving at Baylor, Parker served as a volunteer at his alma mater, Cedarville University, from 2020-21. A former standout guard and two-year team captain at Cedarville, he guided the Yellow Jackets to the 2018-19 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championship as a junior. Cedarville’s 21-12 record that season marked its first winning campaign in six years.
Parker began his collegiate career at NAIA Division II Wilberforce University in 2016-17. As a prep star at Huber Heights’ Wayne High School, he guided his team to three Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division titles and the 2015 Ohio Division I state championship while earning all-conference accolades.
The Huber Heights, Ohio native Parker played four seasons for Wayne High School and was a member of the 2015 Ohio Division I state championship team. He was a Dean’s List student at Cedarville University while earning an accounting degree. Parker graduated from Baylor University with a master’s degree in business administration.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach John Jakus
“Demond is a very special person to me. After finishing his collegiate playing career, he joined us at Baylor as a graduate assistant. He is one of the smartest young minds I have been around and his greatest gift might be his ability to help players get better. During his time as a player development GA at Baylor, he helped guys like Jeremy Sochan and Keyonte George reach their dream of the NBA. More importantly to me, it is the way he takes care of the players, coaches them, and loves them through the process. He is one of the best coaches in the country and Florida Atlantic is blessed to have him.”
Director of Player Development Demond Parker
“I am truly honored to be joining the Florida Atlantic family alongside my mentor and friend, Coach John Jakus. I am beyond ecstatic to continue the success of this new program and to push it to new heights. I cannot wait to immerse myself in the Boca and FAU community. Go Owls!”
SEASON TICKETS
2023-24 season ticket holders can renew today by clicking HERE or calling the ticket office at 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
