JV football coach Parrott retires

Has been a part of local sports for around 30 years

Nat Parrott

“It’s been an honor to work with the youth of the community,” he said. “I think it’s important for everyone to do something to give back to their community ... I feel sports provides a positive avenue for our kids. I love being able to watch them grow.”

After being a coach in both football and wrestling, first in youth leagues, Parrott has decided to retire as head coach of the Del Norte High junior varsity football squad. He has coached, including the past 10 years, at the high school and for nearly 30 years in Del Norte County.

“I’ll miss it,” Parrott said.

For several years he was the JV defensive coordinator alongside the late Steve Luis, the JV head coach, and took over after Luis, a close friend of his, passed away from cancer.

On the gridiron, Parrott led a team that won only a single game his first year to become a squad that began the 2011 season 5-0 and finished the year at 7-3.

Parrott decided to retire from coaching the JV team so he could spend more time with his wife, kids and grandkids.

Coaching football is a full- time endeavor in the fall and Parrott said he wanted to spend more time doing things like hunting and traveling with his wife.

“It’s a young man’s game,” Parrott said about coaching football and the sheer amount of energy and time it took. “I’m getting old,” he said with a chuckle.

Del Norte junior varsity head coach Nat Parrott walks away from his team after a game in Ferndale in September. He recently retired as coach. Del Norte Triplicate/Rick Postal

“He’s been so steady for us,” Rook said about Parrott. “He’s an old-school kind of guy. He brought toughness when needed but he also was understanding and knew what they needed to do to succeed.”

When Rook, who took over as coach two years ago, said that he knew Parrott would be the ideal person to be in charge of the JV program.

“I knew he would do a good job and already knew how to run things,” he said.

Rook has been impressed with the knowledge JV team members have of the varsity system when they moved on to the next level.

“They came ready to play,” he said. “I couldn’t have been any happier.”

“I love to see their growth from when they come in as freshmen to when they were sophomores,” Parrott said about working with his players. “It’s been unbelievable to see them improve.”

Parrott is also well known for his full time job at Del Norte Tire, where he has worked for nearly 35 years.

When Rook began his high school coaching career on the JV level in 2003 as offensive line coach, he worked alongside Parrott and Luis, his first cousin.

He said their knowledge and the way they helped him as a young coach proved to be invaluable.

“They worked really well together and I learned a lot from those guys,” Rook said.

While Parrott did a good job preparing his team on game day, his commitment to help them be complete, well rounded individuals impressed Rook the most.

Parrott was vigilant that each team member maintain their grades, and he always checked on their progress and did what he could to find the resources to help them if they were struggling in class, Rook said

“He alway made sure his teams’ grades were up,” he said. “I knew he would always see things through.”

Parrott beamed with pride when he said that out of 34 kids on the team they were able to maintain a 2.97 cumulative grade point average this fall.

“That’s outstanding for so many kids to do,” he said. “That’s a testament to these kids.”

Parrott said that he knows that it’s vital for the kids he works with to do well in school because “they need an education in this world. That’s why they’re in school.”

While Rook has not yet decided who will lead the JV squad next fall, at this time he believes he will move someone up from the current coaching staff.

He said that thy have all done a great job of working with the kids and making them good football players,a nd most importantly good people and citizens.

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