By David Paulsen
Correspondent
A first-year special education teacher at Whitewater High School has been named the new head football coach at WHS.
Anthoni Parr, who started teaching at WHS this past fall, and also served as an assistant football coach this past season, will replace Ben Cooper. Cooper resigned as head football coach and counselor at WHS July 23 of last year to pursue a dream of owning a resort in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Last season, WHS Principal Doug Parker served as interim head coach.
WHS athletic director Jeff Behrens said Parr was selected from 23 candidates. Behrens indicated that an administrative group initially screened all the applicants, and then a committee interviewed five applicants.
What set Parr apart from the other applicants?
“He had built a really great rapport with the kids,” Behrens said. “His passion and his organization stood out.”
Previous to coming to WHS, Parr was an assistant football coach and teacher in Carrollton, Texas. He also has experience coaching football at Carroll University in Waukesha, Washington High School in Milwaukee, and WHS back in 2004-2006.
Parr grew up in Greendale and attended Whitnall High School. He played college football for the UW-Whitewater Warhawks from 2001-2003.
“Coach Parr is very knowledgeable and passionate about the game of football,” Behrens stated in a press release. “We are very excited to have Coach Parr become the leader of our program and take the challenge of returning this program to an annual conference contender.”
Last fall, the Whippets finished 3-5 overall and 2-5 in the Rock Valley Conference. In the fall of 2011, the team was 2-7 overall.
Parr is also an assistant track coach at WHS this spring.
