Tory Football has their man. The Trojans (11-2) are expected to hire former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker as their new head coach, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. An official announcement is likely coming on Monday.

Parker joined the Fighting Irish ahead of the 2022-23 season before also being awarded OC duties for this past season. With his help, a traditionally more defensive team ascended into the No. 8 scoring offense in the country. Troy is doing just fine in that area after winning its second consecutive Sun Belt Championship, but Parker's arrival could potentially ensure the program remains a force in the conference.

The former Kentucky wide receiver also served as interim head coach for the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half of the 2016 campaign and worked as an assistant for Penn State, Duke and West Virginia. While his credentials are impressive, Parker has big shoes to fill. His predecessor, Jon Sumrall, agreed to lead Tulane after earning a dominant 23-4 record with the Trojans. They had 15 wins combined in the three seasons prior to his arrival.

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The imminent Gerad Parker hire is obviously big news for the entire community, but Troy football remains firmly fixed on making history in the Birmingham Bowl against Duke (7-5) on Saturday, Dec. 23. It marks the first time a Sun Belt school will face a Power Five team in a bowl game.

There is plenty of pressure for the Trojans to pull off the win, just as there will be on Parker to keep this program at the top of the league.