Kirk Ferentz is happy to have longtime assistant Phil Parker still by his side, even if Parker is a bit crazy.

While at a Sunday press conference for the Citrus Bowl, Iowa’s head coach was asked about his longtime relationship with Iowa’s defensive coordinator. After being hired to lead the Hawkeyes in 1999, Ferentz hired Parker to coach defensive backs for the program.

Ferentz admitted he was initially drawn to Parker when he was still a player at Michigan State and Ferentz was an assistant coach with the Hawkeyes.

“Well, Josh mentioned the Stoops. When I was an assistant at Iowa, I always looked at Phil, guy was three-time All-Big Ten,” said Ferentz. “He is not very big, he was not that fast, but he is really short and stuff. I always felt like he could be in the Stoops family if he was an Iowa guy.”

Parker has since served on Ferentz’s staff since 1999 and was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2012. He has coached DBs in all but one season along the way, earning a distinction as one of the top secondary coaches in the game.

“I had great respect for him as a player, and now I have had a chance to work with him for 25 years. I will say this: Unequivocally the best secondary coach I have ever, ever been with, and I have been around some pretty good ones,” Ferentz explained.

As for Parker the person, Ferentz joked that he is “half-crazy” but also refrained from calling the DC an acquired taste. Ferentz does believe Parker’s personality “is a little different” but also understands Parker is a quality individual and a tremendous coach.

“He is a quality human being. He is half-crazy; I think you have noticed that. He has a little different personality,” Ferentz joked. “I do not want to call him an acquired taste some of those looks he gives you, it is like, okay, yeah.

“He is just a tremendous football coach. He has had two jobs in his whole career. That is kind of unusual for a guy his age. That is just who he is. He wants to coach football. He is all about the players and all about trying to get better. I think Josh hit on this earlier. Just when you are around good people on a day-to-day basis, players, staff, that is the fun part of it, and it is neat to see Phil’s efforts being recognized a little bit right now. I am kind of surprised the national stuff, because we normally do not get those kinds of things, but it is so deserved and just really fitting.”

The national stuff Ferentz refers to is the Broyles Award which went to Parker as the nation’s top assistant coach this season. That award is more than deserving for Parker with Ferentz’s success at Iowa and Parker’s work with the defense going hand in hand.