Paris Parham Back Home in the City He Loves
7/8/2021 12:32:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
New assistant coach the key to unlocking Chicago’s recruiting gold mine
CHICAGO – First things, first for new DePaul basketball coach Tony Stubblefield.
Being the ace recruiter who set up an unprecedented run of success at Oregon, Stubblefield knew the quickest way to rehab a basketball program is going straight to the heart.
Recruiting.
All the way back to the golden age of the UCLA Bruins' dynasty in the 1960s and 70s, legendary coach John Wooden knew he was only as good as the players he could bring to Westwood.
Make no mistake, there is no shortage of ego or self-confidence when it comes to college coaches. And yet, Coach Wooden was easily more humble than most and unashamedly old-school sentimental in his 99 years on this earth.
After the coach's beloved wife Nellie passed away at the age of 53, Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly wrote that Wooden "slept only on his half of the bed, only on his pillow, only on top of the sheets, never between, with just the old bedspread they shared to keep him warm."
Wooden's homespun charm growing up in Martinsville, Ind. combined with his winning touch transformed UCLA into the recruiting mecca of the NCAA world. Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar), Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks, Gail Goodrich, Reggie Miller, Marques Johnson, Walt Hazard---all the best wanted to come West.
They won 10 NCAA titles in a 12-year span. Never been done before. Never will.
Recruiting is no different from the world of business or high finance. You search out the broker or connector that seals the deal.
Back in the day, classical coaches like Wooden and Ray Meyer were the connectors. Savvy and instinctive assistant coaches are the connectors that drive the modern game.
What Stubblefield has done is bring an all-star team of assistant coaches and recruiters to Lincoln Park---guys who share many of the same attributes that elevated him to the top of the college recruiting sweepstakes.
Paris Parham, Bino Ranson and Steve Thomas are charged with finding the pieces and assembling a championship culture in the heart of Chicago.
"These are all great guys and I'm excited to bring them to DePaul," Stubblefield said. "They bring a lot of energy and passion and are good people who place a very high premium on relationships.
"The camaraderie of our staff is very important to me, and I'm really excited seeing us work together."
We will introduce Blue Demon Nation to each of the new assistant coaches, beginning with Chicago's very own Paris Parham.
*****
The bloodline of the city literally courses through Parham's veins, raised on the South Side and becoming a star at Dunbar High School. He played for the venerable coach Fate Mickel whose teams were perennially among the top-rated in the city and state.
It was the early 1990s at the height of the storied Dunbar-King Public League Red-Central rivalry featuring the late King's renowned coach Landon "Sonny" Cox. Parham starred alongside Derrick Patterson, Darnell Woods and Saun Jackson in an era that featured King's twin towers of 7-foot Rashard Griffith and 7-3 Thomas Hamilton and also included Chicago Vocational's 6-9 Juwaan Howard. Dunbar's most famous alums include Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, singer Lou Rawls, ex-Bulls guard Ronnie Lester and actor "Mr. T" (Lawrence Tureaud).
After playing at Mankato State (now Minnesota State) where he averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 assists while setting a school season record for assists and a career record for steals, Parham began his coaching career at his alma mater before moving onto Maryland Eastern Shore (2002-04).
"I came back to coach at Morgan Park and Phillips in the Public League (2004-07) and returned to my roots," said Parham who developed All-Stater Osiris Eldridge at Phillips. "You earn a lot of respect coaching at their level.
"You're not paid lots of money, there's lots of work and you devote a lot of time. It's a job you do because of the love you have for the kids."
Parham became a rising star in college recruiting beginning in the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach and connector at Illinois where his lifelong relationship with powerhouse Simeon coach Rob Smith paid huge dividends for the Illini with Wolverine standouts Kendrick Nunn, Jaylon Tate and D.J. Williams establishing a pipeline to Champaign. During his five years, Parham also brought in Young star Ahmad Starks and Champaign Centennial's Rayvonte Rice even as Nunn (Miami Heat) went on to succeed in the NBA.
Prior to that, Parham was on Tim Jankovich's coaching staff at Illinois State (2007-12) where he influenced Eldridge to remain in Normal as the Redbirds made four NIT appearances behind four 20-win seasons.
After leaving Champaign, Parham landed in Milwaukee and brought his Simeon connection with him in the form of talented guard Josh Thomas. He was also the link that attracted local Milwaukee standout Te'Jon Lucas and central Illinois prospects Grant Coleman and C.J. Wilbourn to the Panthers' program.
Stadium Basketball Insider Jeff Goodman wrote a story on the Horizon League's top assistant coaches and Parham was ranked No. 3 in a poll of head coaches and assistant coaches.
"Paris is an excellent person first and foremost," said Milwaukee coach Pat Baldwin. "He has an eye for talent, is very well connected in the profession and very good on the floor with players. He sees the game in a different lens, which is valuable, and has a head coach's perspective on the sideline."
One rival assistant coach said: "Paris is a guy who is prepared for every situation and helps you think outside the box. His knack for seeing the game from every angle is rare. (Paris) being able to break down game plans and strategies for the players to digest is off-the-charts.
"When it comes to recruiting, he's second to none. I also love his ability to connect with players on and off the court. Also, he brings grit and a certain type of toughness to a program."
*****
The origin of the Simeon connection stems from a lifetime friendship.
"It all comes from my relationship with Rob Smith," Parham said. "We've known each other since we were six years old and have been friends for a very long time. We spent a lot of time together as kids.
"It all comes from the trust you earn from people. We will make coach Stubbs visible all over the city and make the high school coaches, players and their parents feel like Tony is one of their own."
It's a strategy that played out well at Illinois.
"When Bill Self first came to Illinois, he showed up all over the city and was everywhere," Parham said. "Bruce Weber was the same way when he became the Illini coach. Both were making appearances, taking photos, signing autographs. I will do the same for coach Stubbs.
"It takes someone who can navigate the Public League landscape. You play in the Red-Central section and someone from the Red-South may not like you. There's the intense rivalry between the West Side and the South Side.
"You manage all the rivalries and factions by simply being the same person all the time and never promising anything you can't deliver. Pretty soon, you gain the players' respect and kids start recruiting other kids. Parents come up to me knowing I'm for real. You have to be a standup guy."
A couple of standup guys first met in 1995.
"I was a junior playing for Mankato State and Tony was a graduate assistant at Omaha," Parham said. "We connected right away. Through all the years on the recruiting trail, hanging out together, scouting in the same gyms---we always kept in touch.
"We actually faced each other twice when he was at Oregon and I was at Illinois. We played at the PK-80 (Phil Knight) Invitational Thanksgiving Tournament in Portland, Ore. and also faced them at the United Center.
"The night before our game at the United Center, we met up at a St. Rita game while scouting. We always kept in touch, and I remember hanging out with him at Final Fours.
So Paris, what's the running count on your head-to-head encounters?
"Oh yeah, Tony and Oregon beat us twice," Parham said with a smile. "He's not the kind of guy who would remind me about that. But at least I did win our first encounter when Mankato State beat Nebraska-Omaha."
*****
Listening to the new assistant coach tell tales about his new boss, you can sense a mutual respect from a bond that's going on 26 years.
"Tony has had a lot more success than I have," Parham said. "With all the success at Oregon, he was able to recruit some extremely high-level guys. He and I both decided at an early age fresh out of college that this would be our life's grind.
"We never recruited the same player. But during my days coaching in the Public League, Tony was an assistant coach and the top recruiter for Mick Cronin at Cincinnati. He came to Chicago to recruit a really good player from Crane, Dion Dixon, who went on to be a star with the Bearcats.
"When he came to town, I helped him navigate the city and introduced him to people. It's important to know people when you're recruiting the Public League. We spent some quality time together."
Parham is a blue-chip recruiter because he remains true to himself. Paris the assistant coach and basketball junkie is exactly the same person as Paris the man. What you see is what you get.
That sense of genuine sincerity creates a comfort zone for recruits, their parents and coaches. It's the same endearing quality that made Stubblefield one of the nation's foremost recruiters.
"I'm going to develop some trustworthy bonds and relationships with players, parents, coaches and then get coach Stubbs in front of them," Parham said. "We are going to show the high-major players that DePaul is the best place for them."
Stubblefield realized early on that DePaul was also the best place for Parham.
"I've been knowing Paris since he was Mankato State and I was at Nebraska-Omaha," Stubblefield said. "He has been a high school coach in Chicago and an assistant coach at Illinois, Illinois State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"Paris has a lot of familiarity with not only the city, but the suburbs, the entire state and he is a recruiting force nationally. He is invaluable knowing the lay of the land in Chicago and having a great comfort level with the people in the city.
"We have known each other for 20-something years, and we recruited against each other when he was at Illinois and I was at Oregon. I have the greatest respect for Paris with his ability to recruit and also to provide instruction for players. That made me go after him hard."
Parham jumped at the chance to come back home.
"I've had my eye on DePaul since I first started coaching," Parham said. "This is a dream job. I am very optimistic that we have all the resources and people in place to bring in great players and change this to a winning culture."
Parham firmly believes the path to success recruiting against the blueblood programs like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina is being the first to contact a prospect and building a lasting and trusting relationship.
Having come through the very same system, Paris knows forwards, backwards and every which way the grass roots of Chicago basketball. He is in tune with the grammar school scene, park district hoops and even small-fry basketball. For him, it's all about getting in on the ground level and making contact once NCAA rules allow.
"Everyone in the city and even the state is going to know Tony Stubblefield really well," Parham said. "The kind of guy Tony is, they are going to fall in love with him.
"I am going to do everything I can so that people feel like Tony is one of their own."
Being the ace recruiter who set up an unprecedented run of success at Oregon, Stubblefield knew the quickest way to rehab a basketball program is going straight to the heart.
Recruiting.
All the way back to the golden age of the UCLA Bruins' dynasty in the 1960s and 70s, legendary coach John Wooden knew he was only as good as the players he could bring to Westwood.
Make no mistake, there is no shortage of ego or self-confidence when it comes to college coaches. And yet, Coach Wooden was easily more humble than most and unashamedly old-school sentimental in his 99 years on this earth.
After the coach's beloved wife Nellie passed away at the age of 53, Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly wrote that Wooden "slept only on his half of the bed, only on his pillow, only on top of the sheets, never between, with just the old bedspread they shared to keep him warm."
Wooden's homespun charm growing up in Martinsville, Ind. combined with his winning touch transformed UCLA into the recruiting mecca of the NCAA world. Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar), Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks, Gail Goodrich, Reggie Miller, Marques Johnson, Walt Hazard---all the best wanted to come West.
They won 10 NCAA titles in a 12-year span. Never been done before. Never will.
Recruiting is no different from the world of business or high finance. You search out the broker or connector that seals the deal.
Back in the day, classical coaches like Wooden and Ray Meyer were the connectors. Savvy and instinctive assistant coaches are the connectors that drive the modern game.
What Stubblefield has done is bring an all-star team of assistant coaches and recruiters to Lincoln Park---guys who share many of the same attributes that elevated him to the top of the college recruiting sweepstakes.
Paris Parham, Bino Ranson and Steve Thomas are charged with finding the pieces and assembling a championship culture in the heart of Chicago.
"These are all great guys and I'm excited to bring them to DePaul," Stubblefield said. "They bring a lot of energy and passion and are good people who place a very high premium on relationships.
"The camaraderie of our staff is very important to me, and I'm really excited seeing us work together."
We will introduce Blue Demon Nation to each of the new assistant coaches, beginning with Chicago's very own Paris Parham.
*****
The bloodline of the city literally courses through Parham's veins, raised on the South Side and becoming a star at Dunbar High School. He played for the venerable coach Fate Mickel whose teams were perennially among the top-rated in the city and state.
It was the early 1990s at the height of the storied Dunbar-King Public League Red-Central rivalry featuring the late King's renowned coach Landon "Sonny" Cox. Parham starred alongside Derrick Patterson, Darnell Woods and Saun Jackson in an era that featured King's twin towers of 7-foot Rashard Griffith and 7-3 Thomas Hamilton and also included Chicago Vocational's 6-9 Juwaan Howard. Dunbar's most famous alums include Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, singer Lou Rawls, ex-Bulls guard Ronnie Lester and actor "Mr. T" (Lawrence Tureaud).
After playing at Mankato State (now Minnesota State) where he averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 assists while setting a school season record for assists and a career record for steals, Parham began his coaching career at his alma mater before moving onto Maryland Eastern Shore (2002-04).
"I came back to coach at Morgan Park and Phillips in the Public League (2004-07) and returned to my roots," said Parham who developed All-Stater Osiris Eldridge at Phillips. "You earn a lot of respect coaching at their level.
"You're not paid lots of money, there's lots of work and you devote a lot of time. It's a job you do because of the love you have for the kids."
Parham became a rising star in college recruiting beginning in the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach and connector at Illinois where his lifelong relationship with powerhouse Simeon coach Rob Smith paid huge dividends for the Illini with Wolverine standouts Kendrick Nunn, Jaylon Tate and D.J. Williams establishing a pipeline to Champaign. During his five years, Parham also brought in Young star Ahmad Starks and Champaign Centennial's Rayvonte Rice even as Nunn (Miami Heat) went on to succeed in the NBA.
Prior to that, Parham was on Tim Jankovich's coaching staff at Illinois State (2007-12) where he influenced Eldridge to remain in Normal as the Redbirds made four NIT appearances behind four 20-win seasons.
After leaving Champaign, Parham landed in Milwaukee and brought his Simeon connection with him in the form of talented guard Josh Thomas. He was also the link that attracted local Milwaukee standout Te'Jon Lucas and central Illinois prospects Grant Coleman and C.J. Wilbourn to the Panthers' program.
Stadium Basketball Insider Jeff Goodman wrote a story on the Horizon League's top assistant coaches and Parham was ranked No. 3 in a poll of head coaches and assistant coaches.
"Paris is an excellent person first and foremost," said Milwaukee coach Pat Baldwin. "He has an eye for talent, is very well connected in the profession and very good on the floor with players. He sees the game in a different lens, which is valuable, and has a head coach's perspective on the sideline."
One rival assistant coach said: "Paris is a guy who is prepared for every situation and helps you think outside the box. His knack for seeing the game from every angle is rare. (Paris) being able to break down game plans and strategies for the players to digest is off-the-charts.
"When it comes to recruiting, he's second to none. I also love his ability to connect with players on and off the court. Also, he brings grit and a certain type of toughness to a program."
*****
The origin of the Simeon connection stems from a lifetime friendship.
"It all comes from my relationship with Rob Smith," Parham said. "We've known each other since we were six years old and have been friends for a very long time. We spent a lot of time together as kids.
"It all comes from the trust you earn from people. We will make coach Stubbs visible all over the city and make the high school coaches, players and their parents feel like Tony is one of their own."
It's a strategy that played out well at Illinois.
"When Bill Self first came to Illinois, he showed up all over the city and was everywhere," Parham said. "Bruce Weber was the same way when he became the Illini coach. Both were making appearances, taking photos, signing autographs. I will do the same for coach Stubbs.
"It takes someone who can navigate the Public League landscape. You play in the Red-Central section and someone from the Red-South may not like you. There's the intense rivalry between the West Side and the South Side.
"You manage all the rivalries and factions by simply being the same person all the time and never promising anything you can't deliver. Pretty soon, you gain the players' respect and kids start recruiting other kids. Parents come up to me knowing I'm for real. You have to be a standup guy."
A couple of standup guys first met in 1995.
"I was a junior playing for Mankato State and Tony was a graduate assistant at Omaha," Parham said. "We connected right away. Through all the years on the recruiting trail, hanging out together, scouting in the same gyms---we always kept in touch.
"We actually faced each other twice when he was at Oregon and I was at Illinois. We played at the PK-80 (Phil Knight) Invitational Thanksgiving Tournament in Portland, Ore. and also faced them at the United Center.
"The night before our game at the United Center, we met up at a St. Rita game while scouting. We always kept in touch, and I remember hanging out with him at Final Fours.
So Paris, what's the running count on your head-to-head encounters?
"Oh yeah, Tony and Oregon beat us twice," Parham said with a smile. "He's not the kind of guy who would remind me about that. But at least I did win our first encounter when Mankato State beat Nebraska-Omaha."
*****
Listening to the new assistant coach tell tales about his new boss, you can sense a mutual respect from a bond that's going on 26 years.
"Tony has had a lot more success than I have," Parham said. "With all the success at Oregon, he was able to recruit some extremely high-level guys. He and I both decided at an early age fresh out of college that this would be our life's grind.
"We never recruited the same player. But during my days coaching in the Public League, Tony was an assistant coach and the top recruiter for Mick Cronin at Cincinnati. He came to Chicago to recruit a really good player from Crane, Dion Dixon, who went on to be a star with the Bearcats.
"When he came to town, I helped him navigate the city and introduced him to people. It's important to know people when you're recruiting the Public League. We spent some quality time together."
Parham is a blue-chip recruiter because he remains true to himself. Paris the assistant coach and basketball junkie is exactly the same person as Paris the man. What you see is what you get.
That sense of genuine sincerity creates a comfort zone for recruits, their parents and coaches. It's the same endearing quality that made Stubblefield one of the nation's foremost recruiters.
"I'm going to develop some trustworthy bonds and relationships with players, parents, coaches and then get coach Stubbs in front of them," Parham said. "We are going to show the high-major players that DePaul is the best place for them."
Stubblefield realized early on that DePaul was also the best place for Parham.
"I've been knowing Paris since he was Mankato State and I was at Nebraska-Omaha," Stubblefield said. "He has been a high school coach in Chicago and an assistant coach at Illinois, Illinois State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"Paris has a lot of familiarity with not only the city, but the suburbs, the entire state and he is a recruiting force nationally. He is invaluable knowing the lay of the land in Chicago and having a great comfort level with the people in the city.
"We have known each other for 20-something years, and we recruited against each other when he was at Illinois and I was at Oregon. I have the greatest respect for Paris with his ability to recruit and also to provide instruction for players. That made me go after him hard."
Parham jumped at the chance to come back home.
"I've had my eye on DePaul since I first started coaching," Parham said. "This is a dream job. I am very optimistic that we have all the resources and people in place to bring in great players and change this to a winning culture."
Parham firmly believes the path to success recruiting against the blueblood programs like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina is being the first to contact a prospect and building a lasting and trusting relationship.
Having come through the very same system, Paris knows forwards, backwards and every which way the grass roots of Chicago basketball. He is in tune with the grammar school scene, park district hoops and even small-fry basketball. For him, it's all about getting in on the ground level and making contact once NCAA rules allow.
"Everyone in the city and even the state is going to know Tony Stubblefield really well," Parham said. "The kind of guy Tony is, they are going to fall in love with him.
"I am going to do everything I can so that people feel like Tony is one of their own."