Chris Parry is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Youngstown State football team. Parry, who served in a quality control role for the Penguins from 2017-22, will coach the wide receivers in 2025.
He comes to YSU after spending a successful season as the wide receivers coach at Division II Slippery Rock.
In 2024, the Rock reached the Division II semifinals and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the final polls. SRU finished the campaign with a 12-2 record which included playoff wins over New Haven, Kutztown and California (Pa.).
In his lone season on the coaching staff at Thiel, Parry helped to guide the program to its highest win total in the last seven years as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. He oversaw the development of All-Presidents' Athletic Conference wide receiver Chase Lawler.
Prior to his time at Thiel, he was a key figure on Pittsburgh’s defensive staff in 2022. The Panthers’ defense led the nation in interceptions returned for touchdowns and sacks while also ranking second in defensive touchdowns, seventh in rush defense, 17th in total defense and 17th in third down conversion percentage.
He began his coaching career as a member of the Youngstown State coaching staff where spent parts of five seasons with the Guins. He worked with the offense and handling a wide variety of responsibilities including local recruiting. He also worked as an assistant to YSU’s recruiting coordinator and special team’s coordinator. Parry was part of Coach Bo Pelini and Coach Doug Phillips’s staffs while in Youngstown.
A native of nearby Niles, he was a standout three-sport athlete at Niles McKinley High School, where he was a captain on the football, basketball and baseball teams as well as the recipient of the Bo Rein Memorial Award giving to McKinley’s top multi-sport student-athlete.
Following his prep career, he attended West Virginia where he was a wide receiver from 2014-17.
Parry earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies while minoring Athletic Coaching at Youngstown State.
