Jacksonville University

Pat Parnell joins Jacksonville University for his first season as the team’s wide receiver coach and Director of Football Operations in 2018.

Parnell comes to us from Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington, where he served on the football coaching staff from 2011-13, holding various roles including interim head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. His experience with the defensive backfield and wide receiver core spanned through all three years.

Prior to his time at Eastlake, Parnell worked with the wide receivers, defensive backs, and special teams units along with being an assistant strength coach at Juanita High School in Kirkland, WA during the 2009 & 2010 football seasons. His coaching career began in 2008 at Redmond High School in Redmond, WA where he assisted the wide receivers and defensive backs.

Parnell was a four-year letter-winner at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota from 2004-07, where he played as a defensive back and on special teams. He assisted the Royals in capturing the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship in 2006 & 07, and winning the West Region advancing to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals in 2007.

Parnell earned a bachelor's degree in educational studies from Bethel (MN) in 2007, and received a master's in science education from Walden University (MN) in 2012.

Coach Parnell and his wife Kim have two kids, Carter (4) and Hadley (1). 

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