Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
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at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Coro: Parker pops into ops job aptly
9/28/2018 10:34:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Former Utah State staffer follows Wilson to GCU
Jesse Parker is prepared to be the new director of basketball operations for Grand Canyon men's basketball because he has handled the same role for the past five seasons at Utah State.
Parker is thrilled to leave Utah for the first time to do it because the Lopes offered him a role and a co-worker that he cherishes.
Parker's background and relationships made him the ideal candidate to replace Brendan Sabean, who is becoming a player development assistant for the San Antonio Spurs' G League affiliate in Austin, Texas.
Parker grew up as the son of a high school basketball and football head coach in Kamas, Utah, a town east of Salt Lake City with 10,000 fewer residents than GCU's campus. Instead of having the usual dreams of playing stardom that most coaches' sons carry, Parker reveled in being his father's trusted operational sidekick.
Parker played for his father, Jerry, but took as much joy in the off-court details that helped "my best friend" run the South Summit High School programs.
"I like the behind-the-scenes work," Parker said. "I don't need to be out in front of people. If things are moving and there are no problems, I like that. I like the challenge and pressure of the operations role. I don't plan to coach. I like the administrative side. I love handling things and thinking ahead about what problems might come up to prevent them."
While in high school, Parker's father took his team to a camp at Utah State and had his son playing on varsity while coaching the freshman team. When the camp needed a referee, Parker volunteered. And he kept volunteering a year later as a college freshman to get onto Utah State's basketball staff as a student manger.
That evolved into becoming a manager on scholarship until he graduated in 2012. Soon after, then-head coach Stew Morrill tabbed Parker to be the Aggies' director of basketball operations. Two years later, current GCU associate head coach Louis Wilson joined the Utah State staff.
When Sabean's opportunity arose as the GCU school year started, Wilson knew who could hit the campus running as an able replacement. With Parker, the Lopes have a staffer with a WAC championship ring that they also seek.
"Jesse was a significant part of that because he makes the trains run on time," Wilson said. "He makes coaching easy for the people who are actually on the floor. You never have to worry about the things that are operationally important.
"He was the best fit with what Coach (Dan Majerle) learned about him and because of the timing of it, Jesse's skill set, his experience in this league and the high-level success he had in this league."
Parker is the first of his family's grandchildren to leave Utah. He remains only a state away from his parents, Jerry and MeriKae, and his sisters, Sara and Kiersten. He will have his nephew, Griffin, and niece, Parker, in Lopes gear soon.
"The longer you do this, there are people you just become family with and Louis is my family," Parker said. "I would do anything for him. I'm really close with his daughters and his wife. When this job first came up and he called me, my first response was, 'I can't tell you no.' I trust him with my life."
Parker is charged with a wide range of responsibilities, including compliance, recruiting, team travel, academic monitoring, practice planning, game preparation and camps.
"Working with Coach Majerle drew me because I really enjoy working with people who are real leaders, people who are successful," Parker said. "I like being part of what goes on here at GCU. The fans, the arena. This is similar to what Utah State was like when I first started there. The arena's packed. People are rowdy. It's fun. I like that and I enjoy being part of something.
"I've never seen a department as invested in what goes on as I do here. It is truly a family environment. Everybody wants to be a part of something that I think is going to be special. It's a unique atmosphere. Everybody who I've met is invested in the program and GCU as a whole."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Parker is thrilled to leave Utah for the first time to do it because the Lopes offered him a role and a co-worker that he cherishes.
Parker's background and relationships made him the ideal candidate to replace Brendan Sabean, who is becoming a player development assistant for the San Antonio Spurs' G League affiliate in Austin, Texas.
Parker grew up as the son of a high school basketball and football head coach in Kamas, Utah, a town east of Salt Lake City with 10,000 fewer residents than GCU's campus. Instead of having the usual dreams of playing stardom that most coaches' sons carry, Parker reveled in being his father's trusted operational sidekick.
Parker played for his father, Jerry, but took as much joy in the off-court details that helped "my best friend" run the South Summit High School programs.
"I like the behind-the-scenes work," Parker said. "I don't need to be out in front of people. If things are moving and there are no problems, I like that. I like the challenge and pressure of the operations role. I don't plan to coach. I like the administrative side. I love handling things and thinking ahead about what problems might come up to prevent them."
While in high school, Parker's father took his team to a camp at Utah State and had his son playing on varsity while coaching the freshman team. When the camp needed a referee, Parker volunteered. And he kept volunteering a year later as a college freshman to get onto Utah State's basketball staff as a student manger.
That evolved into becoming a manager on scholarship until he graduated in 2012. Soon after, then-head coach Stew Morrill tabbed Parker to be the Aggies' director of basketball operations. Two years later, current GCU associate head coach Louis Wilson joined the Utah State staff.
When Sabean's opportunity arose as the GCU school year started, Wilson knew who could hit the campus running as an able replacement. With Parker, the Lopes have a staffer with a WAC championship ring that they also seek.
"Jesse was a significant part of that because he makes the trains run on time," Wilson said. "He makes coaching easy for the people who are actually on the floor. You never have to worry about the things that are operationally important.
"He was the best fit with what Coach (Dan Majerle) learned about him and because of the timing of it, Jesse's skill set, his experience in this league and the high-level success he had in this league."
Parker is the first of his family's grandchildren to leave Utah. He remains only a state away from his parents, Jerry and MeriKae, and his sisters, Sara and Kiersten. He will have his nephew, Griffin, and niece, Parker, in Lopes gear soon.
"The longer you do this, there are people you just become family with and Louis is my family," Parker said. "I would do anything for him. I'm really close with his daughters and his wife. When this job first came up and he called me, my first response was, 'I can't tell you no.' I trust him with my life."
Parker is charged with a wide range of responsibilities, including compliance, recruiting, team travel, academic monitoring, practice planning, game preparation and camps.
"Working with Coach Majerle drew me because I really enjoy working with people who are real leaders, people who are successful," Parker said. "I like being part of what goes on here at GCU. The fans, the arena. This is similar to what Utah State was like when I first started there. The arena's packed. People are rowdy. It's fun. I like that and I enjoy being part of something.
"I've never seen a department as invested in what goes on as I do here. It is truly a family environment. Everybody wants to be a part of something that I think is going to be special. It's a unique atmosphere. Everybody who I've met is invested in the program and GCU as a whole."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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