Buddy Parker
Parker on 1952 Bowman football card
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| Position: | Fullback, linebacker, defensive back |
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| Personal information | |
| Date of birth: | December 16, 1913 |
| Place of birth: | Slaton, Texas |
| Date of death: | March 22, 1982 (aged 68) |
| Place of death: | Kaufman, Texas |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 193 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Kemp (TX) |
| College: | North Texas & Centenary |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 104–75–9 (.577) |
| Postseason: | 3–1 (.750) |
| Career: | 107–76–9 (.581) |
| Player stats at PFR | |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Raymond "Buddy" Parker (December 16, 1913 – March 22, 1982) was a football player and coach in the National Football League who served as head coach for three teams: the Chicago Cardinals, the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Parker grew up in Kemp, Texas, just outside Dallas, and played collegiately for Centenary College in Louisiana for three years beginning in 1932. Parker then signed with the Lions as a fullback in 1935, and during his first season, he helped the team capture the NFL championship. After one more year in the Motor City, he was traded to the Cardinals and spent the next seven seasons with Chicago, also seeing time on defense as a linebacker and defensive back. During the latter two years, he added the duties of backfield coach before becoming a full-time assistant in 1945.
In 1947, the Cardinals captured their second (and only undisputed) NFL title, then lost in a blizzard in the following year's championship clash at Philadelphia. On February 3, 1949, he and Phil Handler were named co-head coaches of the Cardinals, replacing Jimmy Conzelman, who had left to work for a local advertising agency. The unique arrangement, which had Parker handling the offense and Handler the defense, quickly proved to be unworkable, and Handler was returned to the front office on October 25 with the Cardinals sporting a 2-4 record.
In the season's final six games, Parker's team won four games, but a 52-20 loss to the crosstown Bears was quickly followed by Parker's surprising resignation on December 11. Publicly he stated, "I'm tired of being a head coach. The duties are too demanding", but Parker also reportedly was upset with his uncertain job status.
After first reconsidering his abrupt departure, Parker then signed as backfield coach of the Lions January 21, 1950. However, after head coach Bo McMillin found himself in continuous battles with players during the ensuing campaign, he resigned on December 19, with Parker being promoted to the top job the following day.
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