Individual Details

Jesse Dan Parker

(29 Jul 1939 - 21 Jul 2017)

JESSE DAN PARKER
July 29, 1939 ~ July 21, 2017

Jesse Parker was laid to rest Sunday, October 29, 2017, beside his mother, Bert Parker. His brothers & their families were present; as were several cousins, and several friends of the family. Steve mentioned that he thought only family would attend the memorial service for Jesse, and how much he appreciated the presence of everyone who came.

Jesse Parker
07/29/1939 - 07/21/2017
Service Date: 08/19/2017
Service Time: 5:00 PM
Service Location: Mountain View High School Auditorium, 2700 East Brown Road, Mesa, Arizona

Jesse Dan Parker passed away on July 21, 2017 after a long battle with cancer.

He was born July 29th, 1939 to Sam and Bert Parker in Idabel, OK. Jess was the eldest of six boys.

He graduated from Idabel Gray High School in 1957 and attended East Central State University (ECU) in Ada, OK where he lettered in football. It was at ECU that he met and married his wife Latsy.

Upon graduating from ECU in 1963 the family moved to Amarillo, Texas where he taught social studies and coached 7th grade football and basketball. It was there he won his first city championships in football and basketball. Two years later he became an assistant football coach and social studies teacher at Caprock High School in Amarillo.

In 1967 Jess received a scholarship to the University of Kansas. After graduating with honors with a Masters Degree in American History the family moved to Arizona. In the fall of 1968 Jess taught in the social studies department at Phoenix Union High School and was an assistant football coach. The following year at the age of twenty-eight he was hired as the head football coach at Camelback High School where he taught history and english. In 1973 his team was runner up in the state championship game then came back in 1974 to win the state championship.

In 1976 Jess was hired as head football coach for the newly constructed Mtn. View High School located in east Mesa. In a few short years he became Chairman of the Social Studies Department and taught the first AP history class in the Phoenix metro area. During those years Jess’s teams won four state championships and three runner-ups .

From 1995-98 Jess coached football at Texas High in Texarkana, Texas. In the three years there he turned the program around and they won their 1st playoff game in fifteen years.

Jess returned to Arizona in 1999 and coached at Gilbert High School. During his ten years at Gilbert High his teams were in the playoffs eight times. Gilbert High appeared in the semifinals twice and quarter finals once. In 2008 Jess won his 309th game making him at that time, the winningest high school football coach in Arizona history.

During his career he was a two-time finalist for the National Coach of the Year and in 2008 he was inducted into the National High School Coaching Hall of Fame. Other awards he received were the BYU Award of Teaching Excellence, two time Arizona Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Arizona Republic Coach of the Year, Phoenix Press Box Coach of the Year and was inducted into Mesa Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016 Mtn. View High School renamed their football field Jesse Parker Field.

Jess was preceded in death by his parents Bert and Sam Parker and brothers James and Johnny Parker.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years Latsy, daughter Kathy Parker, sons Robert Parker (Terri) and Jonathan Parker and six grandchildren.

Also, three brothers Steve (Shirley) Parker, Larry (Helen) Parker and Dennis (Merry) Parker.

A Memorial Service will be held on August 19th at 5pm in the Mt. View High School auditorium. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that you consider a donation to either the Coach Jesse Parker Legacy Foundation or their place of worship Trinity Church.

Coach Jesse Parker Legacy Foundation accepts donations via their secured website at https://coachjesseparker.org or you can mail contributions to 1347 N. Greenfield Rd. Ste #103 Mesa, AZ 85025. Their phone number is 480-924-6499.

Trinity Church accepts donations by sending those to 2130 E University Drive, Mesa, AZ 85213. Their phone number is 480-834-9120.

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CONDOLENCES

John Thomas Herron ~ July 24, 2017 at 9:48 pm
*Coach Jesse Parker will always be remembered, loved and respected by all who played for him. He taught us hard work, dedication, and commitment towards greatness. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Latsy, and all his family at this time. We will miss you Coach!

Dan Siroky ~ July 26, 2017 at 11:51 am
*Saddened to learn of Jesse’s passing. Good coaching memories and the inspiration he gave to his athletes will stay with me. My condolences to his lovely wife and family.

Steve Gooder ~ July 26, 2017 at 1:39 pm
*I am saddened to hear of one of my Hero’s passing .my thoughts and prayers go out to Mrs Parker ,Kathy and the rest of the family.

Jeff Augustino ~ July 26, 2017 at 1:39 pm
*Coach Jessie Parker will forever by an icon for the Mountain View Toros. He touched the lives of so many on and off the football field with real life values and respect. Our condolences are with his family.

Lloyd ~ July 26, 2017 at 3:18 pm
*Love and prayers for comfort to Mrs Parker and all of Coach Parker’s family. I thank God for the extraordinary blessing of knowing, and being taught and influenced by this great man.

David Luders ~ July 26, 2017 at 4:07 pm
*Scene 1978, every time I smell freshly cut grass I am transported back to the field I stood on with the man who changed my stars. I did not know at the time how much Coach Parker would impact me every day for the rest of my life. I am so blessed to have been allowed to stand on the same filed as this hero. All of my love goes out to him and his wonderfull family now and forever. Tell we meet again Coach Parker, from a boy, you molded into a man.

Jeff Senn '78 AAA ~ July 27, 2017 at 3:47 am
*Jesse Parker was a man in search of perfection both on and off the field. Those who had him in the classroom know that his tests were tough, his passion was boundless, and you learned. It was the same on the field. You grew a backbone. There was no such word as fail, no backing down, and losing was hell on earth. I carry that with me today. Thanks Coach.

Bob Young ~ July 27, 2017 at 9:22 am
*So many memories of coaching against Jess over the years with my time at Maryvale. It is amazing in the coaching profession, how the competition creates such a mutual respect that draws us close together as friends. I cherished the times I came back to AZ from SD and meet with Jess over breakfast or lunch as we alternated paying the bill and reliving some of those special memories in coaching HS in AZ. I was planning to see Jess in August when I was coming to AZ to visit family but was so saddened to hear about his death prior to my visit. Latsy, you were such an inspiration to him and he loved you dearly as he did with all your children and grand- children. I hope it works for me to attend the memorial service on August 19 at Mtn. View HS during my visit to Phoenix.

Preston Pierce ~ July 27, 2017 at 11:22 am
*Thank you Coach for your dedication to growing kids into men. Your example of toughness, dedication, and strength will always guide me in my life’s adventures.
Life is a leaf of paper white, where each one of us will write, a word or two and then comes night, greatly begin though thou have time, but for a line be that sublime, not failure but low aim is a crime.
Thanks for the legacy Coach!

Brent Hall ~ July 27, 2017 at 2:22 pm
*My heart felt sympathy to Latsy, Kathy and family ,

Malcolm & Peggy Hartnell ~ July 27, 2017 at 5:01 pm
*Latsy we are so sorry for your loss. May God comfort you and your family as you mourn Jesse’s passing.

Jack ONeal ~ July 27, 2017 at 6:51 pm
*When I think of Mountain View, I always thing of Coach Parker

Stuart Taylor ~ July 27, 2017 at 7:19 pm
*Coach Parker, thank you for all that you did for me! I will miss you and I will always remember you and the lessons you inspired me to learn about fighting and working hard on and off the field. I have so much respect for you that I tried to do everything in my power to get a word of praise from you because that meant so much to me. If there are two-a-day football practices and games on a field in heaven, I will look for you and hope to find you there. I love you Coach Parker, Stuart Taylor

Brigette Williams ~ July 27, 2017 at 7:58 pm
*Coach Parker knew I struggled in a class, he gave me extra credit to do. He believed in me and so many others. I have so much respect for him, yes he was a teddy bear as you got to know him. He was so nice to introduce the whole football team. I wanted to die and thank him the same time. Thank you for your example of believing in everyone. I will always remember you and miss him.

Rick Carpenter ~ July 27, 2017 at 9:31 pm
*Coach Parker, you turned boys into men. You pushed me to the breaking point and made me realize that I had inner strength that I didn’t know existed. I truly believe the success I have achieved is a direct result of the mental strength you brought out in me. I am proud to have played for you and will never forget the life lessons you taught me and am forever grateful. After the last game my senior year, I was very distraught, feeling I had not played well enough and you walked up to me in the locker room and grabbed my jersey and pulled me close and said “if you don’t have confidence in yourself nobody else will”. That moment plays through my mind everyday. When the road gets tough and what I chose to do for a living is tough, that gets me through the day. Thank you. Rest In Peace, great man, great coach, and great friend. God bless you, you wil be greatly missed. Rick

Lance Smith ~ July 27, 2017 at 10:19 pm
*I sure appreciate all of the great life lessons that I learned learned from Coach Parker. He taught me about mental toughness and how to be my best. Thank you!

Keith Miller ~ July 28, 2017 at 7:57 am
*the great football coach that will be remembered for wins, but for all of his players, will remember the things he taught us to win in life. He told me I LOVE THIS GAME, its like life, your gonna have your ups and downs, how you gonna handle it. he said focus on the positive things. He remembered so many players by name after all these years. what a GREAT guy and GREAT influence to all of us. I hope I passed some of the great things he taught me to my kids. REST IN PEACE AND THANK YOU for being in our LIVES, keith

Ty Legg ~ July 28, 2017 at 8:11 am
*Coach Parker,
I never played on your football team, but was in your economics class inspite of my prayers I wouldn’t be. You made us work just as hard in the classroom and earn every grade we got. For this I thank you. It made me the teacher, father and husband I am today. I lovingly love my daughter and kids I teach making them take responsibility for their education and choices. May you rest in peace knowing you made Champions not only on the field, but in the classroom and in society as a whole. After graduating Mountain View High School years ago, I am set to begin a new math position this year at Gilbert. May I be half the leader you were at both schools. God bless you, Coach. On, Toro, On!

Bill And Renee Woods ~ July 28, 2017 at 10:20 am
*We love this great family and are grateful for the many hours and time both in and off the field that Coach spent with our boys. Truly a great man that helped mold many young men and women in his career. Our condolences to Latsy and all of the Parker family.

Lori Timmons-Crofutt ~ July 28, 2017 at 6:09 pm
*My prayers and thoughts for the family of this wonderful man. Had him for history at Mtn View and grateful to have had the experience of him in my life.

Greg Kunasek ~ July 29, 2017 at 7:14 am
*Dear Coach,
The breadth of your influence is incalculable. My friends from service in the military, professional life, church, neighbors and friends from far and wide know about you and what you did for my formation in life and I have no doubt that all the other young men that played for you did the same. After my father’s influence on Andy and I, mom never missed an opportunity to invoke your name when it came to discipline, hard work and the pursuit of excellence. The entire Kunasek family holds your name out as what it means to be a true man….a gentleman – smart, intellectual, tough and compassionate. I count myself as one of the few blessed men who have walked this earth that have learned at your feet. God speed and God bless.

Brent Garrett ~ July 29, 2017 at 10:06 am
*Knowing and playing for Coach Parker was one of the greatest privileges in my life. I left McClintock High School to play for Mountain View High School my senior year. Coach Parker convinced me me that I would never regret this move and he was right. The people I met and the friendships that were developed still exist today. On many occasions I have had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Coach Parker years later. Not only did he never forget my name and who I was he had the unique ability to make you feel that you were his favorite player, even though I knew he felt the same about all his players and former players. Coach Parker had such an impact on my life that I named one of my sons after him, as I am sure many players did. That’s the kind of man he was. I will forever be grateful for what he has taught me. I love you Coach.

Carolyn Sadler Holly/Cecil Holly ~ August 1, 2017 at 1:17 pm
*Latsy, our prayers are with you. You had one awesome husband. What accomplishments he made. I know you are proud and your kids too. We’ll be thinking of you. Cecil (1959) and Carolyn (1960) McAlester Bufflaos.

Mary Ann Pistocco ~ August 1, 2017 at 3:05 pm
*Latsy, so very sorry to hear of the passing of your husband. He sounds like a very accomplished man. May prayers are with you and your family at this time.
Mary Ann Pistocco, McAlester High School friend

Shantel L Tritthart ~ August 1, 2017 at 4:42 pm
*Aunt Latsy, Scott, Kathy, and Jon: there is nothing to say that will lessen the pain of the loss of a great man. Hold onto your memories always. I feel so blessed that my children did get to meet Uncle Jesse this past year. I only wish I’d have acted sooner to visit Arizona. We always think we have more time. We even left that visit last November saying how we couldn’t wait to visit again. Thinking of all of you and praying you live life to the fullest in honor of your husband and father! Hugs and prayers. Love all of you, Shantel Parker Tritthart (always a Parker) & my family

Claudia Tangye Van Veen ~ August 2, 2017 at 4:11 am
*Dear Latsy, you and the family have my utmost condolences. Just read the obit and all the comments. How wonderful that theses players and students felt do strongly about him. We knew that from all the public accolades but to read individual comments is so very touching. I know everyone in your family must feel so grateful that these people hAve taken the time to make the effort to write about their feelings about him. Know you must be getting so much love and hugs from family and friends. Wish I could give you a hug.

Dale And Jeanne O'Dell ~ August 2, 2017 at 8:23 pm
*Latsy, our hearts go out to you and your family. We’ve lost a great friend, but fortunately we are left with many great memories. Hats off to an icon in Arizona football and education.

Dick Gooch & Sons ~ August 9, 2017 at 11:07 am
*Jess Parker was a wonderful influence on my sons who were coached by him in the 80’s, during his time at Mountain View. They learned the meaning of commitment, hard work and how to become a successful person. The important values he taught have stayed with them for all these years and they are passing them on to their sons. Jess and Latsy are considered friends and we will always have a special place in our memories for them. We will miss Coach Parker, there are not many like him today. May God Bless their family and sustain they during this time of sorrow and grief.

Dick Gooch & Sons ~ August 9, 2017 at 11:10 am
*May he rest in peace.

Karen Uhls Ripperda (Class Of '79) ~ August 10, 2017 at 5:15 pm
*My sincere condolences for your loss. I really admired Coach Parker. He was a GREAT Guy !

Martha Curlett ~ August 12, 2017 at 1:54 pm
*My thoughts and prayers go out to you, Latsy , and family. Jesse touched the lives of so many people, not only in his coaching but as a teacher. I remember Jim saying ” Jesse had two different personality, one on the football field and one as an excellent caring, calm teacher. It was so great that Jesse was able to be when the football stadium was named in his honor. Jim enjoyed the visit of Jesse and Brad – recalling so many memories that they shared. It was kind of them to make the trip to our home in Goodyear. I can imagine them both in Heaven with Jesse on the football field in his favorite shirt, and Jim pacing on the sidelines. Two great people that helped make Mountain View an outstanding school and gave positive values to many students. Jesse will always be with you with your memories. Again my sincere condolences.

Cindy Kerr ~ August 13, 2017 at 6:14 pm
*One of the best memories of my time at Camelback was running on to the field at ASU to celebrate, after Coach Parker had taken the team to the ’74 state championship game & won! It’s something you remember your entire life. I was sorry to hear that such a good person isn’t with us any more, we so need great, honorable people, like Coach Parker. Thanks to the Parker family, for sharing your husband, your dad, your grandfather, season after season, with generations of Arizona/Texas fans. God bless you in Heaven Coach!

Kim Sickmiller ~ August 18, 2017 at 5:19 pm
*My condolences to Mrs Latsy Parker, Kathy, Robert, Jon, and the extended Parker Family. I have had a heavy heart the last couple of weeks with the passing of an AZ legend. Coach Parker your influence both in the classroom, on the field, and in the game of life have been generational. The year was 1978, in the fall, Mesa vs Mt View, my first Mt View game as a 13 year old, that game was a life changing event for me. I lived on the border of both schools, and without a doubt I knew which school I would attend after watching that game. My experience at Mt View as a student, player and later a coach under you coach shaped my life to this very day. Coach you exemplified the concept of mental and physical toughness, and pushing one’s self to reach their fullest potential more than any teacher or coach could ever come close to. I was truly blessed to have been part of the Mt View excellence under your leadership. Mt View class ’83, Mt View Hall of Fame 2012

Berwyn Wilbrink ~ August 19, 2017 at 7:32 am
*Dear Latsy, Kathy, and the Parker Family; There are few people that influence a person’s life as much as Coach Parker did to me, and the many he touched in school and his life. I was blessed to have him as a teacher, as a mentor, and as a friend. I will continue to pass along the many recollections of his teaching methods to my peers, the boys I teach at scouts, and my friends as there were so many times he encouraged with knowledge, patience, support… and a bit of fear… that I would not finish without getting it right. Know that I’m also equally blessed for getting to know and work with both of you, Latsy and Kathy, as you both helped mold me as my life developed through subtle encouragements and support. The Parker Family is a blessing to us all, and it wont end with the passing of Jess’s life here on earth, although he will be missed in countless ways. From the entire Wilbrink family, we offer our love, hugs, and prayers to a family that has blessed us in countless ways.

Bernard G. Jones -McAlester, Oklahoma
August 19, 2017 at 11:04 am
*Growing up in McAlester and you being in the same class as my sister (1960), you were and are such a role model for me. When I moved to Tempe (1987) and began coaching on Karl Kiefer’s staff, Mt. View was playing in the state championship game and we saw each other at the ASU stadium. I often had a chance to visit with Jess and remind him that a lot of my classmates at Oklahoma Military Academy were from Idabel/Broken Bow. Latsy, you have always recognized me and been so kind to me especially at the fifty year reunion of the McAlester Class of 1960. Our plane flight back to the Valley was the fastest two hours ever with you filling me in on your classmates that I didn’t get to see. My special prayers for you and your family today are for grace, favor and strength. Please email me when you can and Julie and I would love to see you. Jess and you get the prize for the best couple ever.


Memorial Provided By
Bunker Family Funeral Homes
Mesa, AZ

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LEGENDARY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH JESSE PARKER DIES
Richard Obert, azcentral sports Published 10:08 a.m. MT July 22, 2017 | Updated 3:33 p.m. MT July 22, 2017

Mesa Mountain View High School dedicates football field to long-time coach Jesse Parker. (Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports)

Jesse Parker, who was celebrated last season at Mesa Mountain View with the football field named after him, died on Friday night. He was 77.

Parker was battling cancer and recently was hospitalized for pneumonia.

Parker led Phoenix Camelback to the 1974 state championship, before opening Mountain View in the mid-1970s.

He quickly built the Toros into a perennial power, leading them to four big-school state championships.

His last state title came in 1993. He left later in the decade to return to his roots in Texarkana and the challenge of coaching Texas high school football, before returning to take over a struggling Gilbert program.

He coached 10 years at Gilbert, leading the Tigers to the playoffs eight times and creating stability with a program that has yet to have a winning season since he left in 2008. Parker retired with 309 coaching wins in 40 years as a head high school football coach.

Former Tempe McClintock coach Karl Kiefer, who had a great friendship and rivalry with Parker in the 1970s and '80s, was shocked by the news.

"That really hurts me," Kiefer said. "Jesse was a great coach and a great opponent and a great friend. I was happy when they named the field after him. It was a great night."

Mountain View this summer got rid of the scoreboard that had been there since the school opened and replaced it with one that bears Parker's name.

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MEMORIAL FOR LEGENDARY COACH JESSE PARKER TO BE HELD AT MOUNTAIN VIEW

Richard Obert, azcentral sports Published 7:30 p.m. MT July 25, 2017 | Updated 6:51 p.m. MT July 26, 2017

Jesse Parker, 71, died Friday night. He won four state championships at Mountain View. Wochit

Jesse Parker
Former Mountain View coach Jesse Parker stands in front of the football field at Mountain View High School on Fri, Aug. 26, 2016 in Mesa, Ariz. Mountain View named the field after Parker on Friday.
(Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports)

Jesse Parker's legend took off at Mesa Mountain View, so it's appropriate that is where his life will be celebrated with a memorial inside the school's auditorium on Aug. 19 at 5 p.m.

Parker, who led Mountain View to four of his five state football championship, died on Friday at the age of 77 after battling cancer and pneumonia.

Jon Parker, Jesse's son, posted on social media that the family has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Jesse Parker Legacy Foundation (coachjesseparker.org), which supports educators and coaches who exhibit the same dedication as his father by pushing students and athletes to their full potential. Donations can also be made to Trinity Church, where Parker worshiped, his son wrote.

"My family deeply appreciates all the love and support that has been expressed to our family," Jon Parker wrote.

Parker will also be going into the Phoenix Union High School District Sports Hall of Fame this year.

Zach Munoz, athletic director of the PUHSD, said that the Hall of Fame committee had selected Parker before his death for introduction into the district's Hall of Fame.

"We are planning to honor his work in the PUHSD and the 1974 football state championship at Camelback," Munoz wrote in an email. "We also will be having the induction of his quarterback on that '74 state championship team, current had football coach at the University of Massachusetts, Mark Whipple."

Tucson Amphitheater football said that a memorial will be held Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. at the school for former Amphi football coach Vern Friedli, who died on Friday at 80. Friedli won 331 games in his career. That was a state record before it was broken last season by Tempe Marcos de Niza coach Paul Moro.

Amphitheater said that a time and place still is being determined.

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5 state titles: Jesse Parker | Led Mesa Mountain View to 5A titles in 1993, 1986, 1983 and 1978. Before going to Mountain View, he led Phoenix Camelback to the 1974 5A title.

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COACHES, PLAYERS, WRITERS REFLECT ON IMPACT COACH JESSE PARKER LEFT

he legacy Jesse Parker left in Arizona is deep. So many were impacted by the former history teacher and football coach, who carved his niche as legend, winning five state championships, one at Phoenix Camelback and four more at Mesa Mountain View after he opened that school in the 1970s.

Here is a collection of comments on Parker since news of his death at 77:

"First time I talked with Jesse Parker was at Barro's Pizza. We spent two hours reliving the history of Mountain View football. It was quite an honor to listen to a great coach share his memories of building one of the elite programs in the state. He was proud of his players and school's accomplishments. His stories were great. Jesse was very gracious with me and offered sound advice on being the new MVT head coach. I am excited to coach on Jesse Parker Field and look forward to making him proud of the football program he built." -- current Mountain View coach Mike Fell.

"I can tell you had a great impact on the entire faculty and the coaches. He was well-respected by the faculty. He wasn't just a football coach. He was one of our best teachers, as well." -- longtime Mountain View boys basketball coach Gary Ernst.

"I feel so bad. He was a great coach. We had a lot of great games down through the times." -- former Tempe McClintock, Phoenix Mountain Pointe coach Karl Kiefer.

"I was part of the McClintock-Mountain View rivalry from 1979-1990 as a player and a coach. Jesse Parker was the one man we loved to hate. As I got to know the man, I discovered a professional educator who changed students' lives for the better. Always a gentleman off the field and a ... on it. I am grateful to have competed against a legend. Mr. Parker, Coach, you made a difference." -- ex-McClintock player and current Chandler Hamilton coach Dick Baniszewski.

"If you were to construct a Mount Rushmore of Arizona high school coaches, you would carve Jesse Parker's likeness first. As a kid growing up in the East Valley, Jesse Parker was like a superhero. He was tough and always believed his players could achieve anything through hard work and mental discipline. He was a close friend of my father and grandfather who were both coaches in the mid-90s. I was a kid sitting at the table in awe. He talked about his players as if they were his own children. I'm not sure I can count all of the great coaches who have influenced me in this profession, but Jesse Parker is right at the top. I try to emulate him everyday." -- Casa Grande coach Jake Barro.

Former Mountain View coach Jesse Parker poses for a
Former Mountain View coach Jesse Parker poses for a photo with Casey Lee, who played for Parker in 1983, at Mountain View High School on Fri, Aug. 26, 2016 in Mesa, Ariz. Mountain View named the school's football field after Parker on Friday. (Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports)
"He did not have the most athletes and the biggest kids. We talked about not being the biggest, but some of the toughest kids. We hope to continue that tradition he established at Mountain View. It's super sad. We send our love to the Parker family. I have a respect and love for them. They've always been kind and dear to me." -- Queen Creek coach Travis Schureman, who played for Parker in the early 1990s.

"Like most people that knew Jesse, he was a multi-faceted guy. On the field and off the field, he was amazing. Extremely competitive. Very detailed. His kids idolized him. He had the perfect balance. He was a great mentor and friend to them and also they had a certain amount of fear they played with. And I mean that in a good way. He had their attention on the field all the time." -- Pat Lavin, whose Phoenix St. Mary's team lost to Parker's Camelback team, 22-20, in the 1974 state championship game.

"I am deeply, profoundly saddened. What a great coach. What a great man. I am proud to say he was a friend." -- Don Ketchum, former longtime sportswriter for The Phoenix Gazette and The Arizona Republic.

"Jess was tough down to the bone. He was as tough a guy I think I have ever seen in my life. I remember on a frigid night, kids would be wearing sweat shirts under their game jerseys, and he would wear that short-sleeved polo shirt. ... I've been in a room with Jess Parker in many meetings, with some tough hombres in their own right. All of these alpha males, and he was the only true alpha male in that room." -- Tucson Catalina Foothills coach Jeff Scurran.

"Coach Parker was larger than life, both by reputation and by his intensity on the field. But he was eager to help fledgling coaches like myself and was always generous in sharing his time and his wealth of experience with others. He was a great teacher of the game but also of history. His players loved him and from his opponents he earned only respect. May he rest in peace." -- St. Mary's coach Tommy Brittain.

"In the spring of my sophomore year at Camelback, Coach Parker announced that he was leaving to start a program at Mountain View. The whole school was devastated. In the early 70s, Camelback was the it school, the Hamilton or Chandler of today. Coach Parker was the reason. He was bigger than life to us. Coach Parker taught me how to be tough regardless of the circumstances, situation or your physical limitations. He showed us how to be great on the field, in the classroom, and in life. As I transitioned into coaching, Coach Parker was always there for advice. When Mingus won the 1997 state championship, Coach Parker was one of the first persons to congratulate me. Today I am devastated losing Coach again." -- Cottonwood Mingus coach Bob Young.

"Coach Parker completely embodied what it means to be a true man. He had a tough exterior. But a lot of soul. He was misunderstood. When it comes to coaching kids, I've never been around anyone better." -- Chandler Seton coach Gary Galante, former Parker son-in-law, who was on Parker's 1993 state championship Mountain View staff and joined him with Angelo Paffumi and Mark Nolan as assistants at Gilbert.

"My experience with Coach Parker began in 1979 when I played at McClintock. He and Kiefer would go at it, a deep respect between the two, as players you could tell. My first years as a head coach, Jesse was at Gilbert. One summer we were at the same camp, we had lunch together, and in our conversation, he remembered specific plays from the 1980 game where they beat us 7-6. I was amazed that he would have recollection of such specifics 30 years later. After winning state in 2011, I received many wonderful text messages and emails, but the most memorable note I received was a hand-written letter from Coach Parker, congratulating us on a job well done. I have that letter framed and hanging on my office wall at school." -- Phoenix Desert Vista coach Dan Hinds.

"Yeah, he was tough on us, but at the same time you had a tremendous amount of respect for him. He taught us not only how to win but how to win in life. The way he did things, the attention to detail. I remember one of our practices, it was during 2-a-days. We would start at 7 o'clock and go 2 hours and 15 minutes. We'd end it with 10 perfect plays. When we finished, it ended up being a five-hour practice. But that's who we were. He got the most out of us. When I was a freshman at BYU, we were doing a drill. It wasn't going well. We moved on. I remember thinking, 'We would have stayed here until we did it right.' '' -- Todd Shell, all-state linebacker on Mountain View's 1978 state championship game, who later played at BYU and won two Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers.

"I grew up without a father during my teenage years and that left a gaping hole in my life. Coach Parker was able to help fill that hole as a role model and mentor to teach me enduring life lessons that have helped me become a better person, better father, and successful businessman. He literally changed my life and did so for hundreds of others. It was a selfless legacy that I wanted our community and younger generation to embrace forever and that's why I took up the project to rename the field at Toro Stadium on his behalf as well as the new scoreboard that bears his name." -- Wayne Syrek, who played for Parker in 1989 and '90.

"I worked under Coach Gary Galante for three years at Brophy (when he was defensive coordinator and Parker's son-in-law). I only had the pleasure to meet Coach Parker once at Brophy at his grandson's basketball game and you knew instantly you were in the presence of a legend. I asked Coach Galante on the field at practice one day what was it like to work under Coach Parker and what was it that made him so great. He said he knew how to move men. He knew how to by using psychological philosophy of love and fear, how to connect with each and every one of his players and get them to play at levels above what they ever thought they were capable of playing." -- Phoenix Barry Goldwater coach Doug Provenzano.

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A LEGACY OF INFLUENCE

The Coach Jesse Parker Legacy Foundation has been created to present the Coach Jesse Parker Legacy Award to honor Coach Jesse Parker and to show our support of educators and coaches who exhibit(ed) his same dedication by pushing for student's and athlete’s highest potential. The values and perseverance taught by Coach are so significant to the success of Coach’s alumni that we want to encourage others to apply the same philosophy for the good of all generations, today, tomorrow and well into the future.

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MEMORIES OF JESSE PARKER, THE SCARIEST MAN WHO STALKED THE HIGH SCHOOL SIDELINES
Richard Obert, azcentral sports Published 3:31 p.m. MT July 22, 2017 | Updated 3:53 p.m. MT July 22, 2017

Jesse Parker, 71, died Friday night. He won four state championships at Mountain View. Wochit
Early in my high school sports reporting days, I remember the man with the red-and-blue polo shirt, the scowl, the growl.
He instilled fear even in young reporters.
Jesse Parker hated to lose. And he hardly lost.
But his legend started for me early in my high school playing career. I was at Scottsdale High in the mid-1970s, the youngest of eight. My father was still part of the St. Mary's Dad's Club. My brothers and sisters went to St. Mary's.
And when St. Mary's lost to Phoenix Camelback in the 1974 state championship game, conversations at the dinner table sometimes turned to Parker, how he stalked the sidelines, the stories that grew to mythological proportions on the grind he would put his players through.
So with trepidation I would confront him as a reporter after his Mesa Mountain View football games.
I soon realized that he was a totally different person once the game ended. His words were slow and measured, his voice soft.
And even after a loss, he was accommodating. He might say something not printable at first, but he would quickly cool down and never sugar-coated it. What I admired about Parker was that he never ducked an interview after a loss.
He wouldn't stomp off and take his players into the locker room. He would take time to talk to reporters.
Jesse Parker built at Camelback High School into a football power before launching one of the most successful Arizona dynasties at Mesa Mountain View.
Parker was from a different time, generation that unfortunately doesn't exist today. He won four state titles without transfers and without that many players who went onto major colleges (linebacker Todd Shell and quarterback Joe Germaine were exceptions). They weren't physically imposing. They all looked the same size. But nobody pursued the ball better. Nobody tackled better. And nobody outworked his Mountain View teams.
To me, he was the Clint Eastwood of high school football coaches. A man's man. He got his messages across with a glare. He pushed his players to their limits. But there was a gentle side to him, a historian who was as effective as a teacher as he was as a coach. Sit in one of his history classes, and his speeches would stay with you a long time.
He was smart, diverse. He loved poetry. And there was a gentleman quality about him who valued hard work and character. That is what he left mostly with his players and students.
The Parker I knew in the '80s and '90s wouldn't last very long in today's high school sport world. There was nothing PC about him. He said it like it was, and he didn't care what people thought.
He might have offended people, but he said it and did it his way.
And nobody did it better.

Facebook: Jesse Parker
https://www.facebook.com/jesse.parker.332
Former Head Football Coach at Gilbert High School
Past: Texas High School, Texarkana, TX and Mountain View High School, Mesa Az

Events

Birth29 Jul 1939Idabel, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
Residence15 Nov 2007Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona
Death21 Jul 2017Arizona
MarriageOklahoma - Living
BurialMarshall Hill Cemetery, Idabel, McCurtain County, Oklahoma

Families

SpouseLiving
ChildLiving
ChildLiving
ChildLiving
FatherSam Lee Parker (1917 - 1985)
MotherBert Mae Stiles (1920 - 1994)
SiblingSteven L. Parker (1941 - 2018)
SiblingJames Kenneth "“Whitey”" Parker (1942 - 1987)
SiblingJohnny Ray Parker (1948 - 1969)
SiblingLiving
SiblingLiving

Notes

Endnotes