Wayne grad lands college basketball coaching job in Horizon League

“I am beyond ecstatic to be returning to a place I hold close to my heart!” Parker wrote on X. “I am truly honored to be joining the CSU staff as we look to continue the success of the past. Cleveland, I’m home.”

Parker was a freshman on the junior varsity team when Wayne won a state championship in 2015. He started his college career at James Madison and played two seasons there before transferring to Appalachian State, where he was a member of a Sun Belt Conference tournament championship team in 2021.

Parker then transferred to Cleveland State in June 2021. He was a two-year starter for two 20-win teams and was named to the All-Horizon League defensive team in 2023. He scored 1,004 points in five seasons in college basketball.

Parker spent the past season playing in Europe with Sokhumi in the Georgian A League.

Robinson took over the Cleveland State program in Parker’s final season when Dennis Gates left to coach at Missouri. The Vikings have won 21 games in each of Robinson’s first two seasons.

“I am fired up to welcome Deshon Parker back to Cleveland State, this time in a new capacity as Assistant Coach,” Robinson said in a press release. “Deshon was a dedicated student, exceptional athlete, and a tremendous leader during his time here, and he’s continued to be a great ambassador for our university. Deshon will bring an infectious personality, commitment to our core values, and deep understanding of what it means to be part of this team. He’s a great communicator and connector, and for all those reasons, I’m excited to see the impact he’ll have on our players and the future of our program.”

Parker is the second member of his family to enter college coaching. His older brother Demond Parker, a 2016 Wayne graduate who played three seasons at Cedarville University and one at Wilberforce, was hired as director of player development at Florida Atlantic in April. Demond spent the previous season at Furman with the same title. He previously worked two seasons at Baylor as a graduate assistant.