Scott Parr is no stranger to the Lone Star Conference.

The new Texas A&M-Kingsville head coach was first introduced to the LSC when he was named special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Abilene Christian in 2000 for the legendary Gary Gaines, who was portrayed as a significant character in the popular book and movie ‘Friday Night Lights’ when Gaines was head coach at Odessa Permian.

Parr returned to the LSC in 2005 as the wide receivers coach for Sam McElroy at Tarleton. He then served as offensive coordinator under Don Carthel at West Texas A&M from 2006 through 2009. Since then, Parr has seen multiple changes in the funding provided to NCAA Division II schools.

“Resources are much better in DII now in terms of having the resources so that coaches don’t have to wear as many hats as we used to,” Parr said. “[Texas A&M-Kingsville Executive Director of Athletics] Mike Salinas has done a great job of structuring our staff here to where we have a full-time strength coach, two academic support staff members, four full-time trainers, eight full-time assistant coaches, and four graduate assistant coaches.”

After leading the football program for the last five seasons, Salinas transitioned to the full-time athletic director position following the 2024 season. He finished with a 26-19 overall record, setting a solid foundation for Parr with three consecutive seven-win campaigns.

“He was an excellent head football coach and knows how to win. He set up the structure here,” Parr said. “He understands South Texas and the Texas A&M-Kingsville community better than anybody. Plus, he has a tremendous administrative skillset, so he provides a lot for me to lean on and learn from.”

While funding has improved for DII football programs, Parr inherits a program that still trails multiple LSC schools in terms of facilities. However, Salinas has already begun addressing the program’s facility issues, completing a nearly $2 million upgrade to remodel the locker room for the first time since 1952. The project, completed in 2023, added 900 square feet of space, features LED lights, increased locker space, and a lounge area.

“I’ve learned in Division I that you can have a nice building and nice facilities, but the people inside the buildings matter the most. Bigger isn’t always better. You may have a prettier spot, but how much do you enjoy entering that building every day,” Parr said. “This university has done a good job of allocating funds toward the student-athlete. There’s other ways to spend money on them outside of facilities.”

Parr arrives in Kingsville after spending three years as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at FBS Louisiana Tech. Before joining the Bulldogs, Parr served as head coach at Navarro for three seasons. He led the Bulldogs to a 14-14 overall record, including the 2019 Southwest Junior College Football Conference championship. Parr was named SWJCFC Coach of the Year in 2019 and led Navarro to the 2021 Scooter’s Coffee Bowl.

He’s known for his offensive prowess, and his Navarro offenses routinely finished inside the top 10 in multiple NJCAA categories. The Bulldogs 2021 squad scored more than 400 points during the season. Parr comes from a family of offensive football minds. His father, Steve, was a Texas high school head coach for 31 years, and his brother, Seth, led Anna to the 2023 Class 4A Division I state title after guiding Lubbock Coronado to a 34-6 record in three seasons.

Multiple sources expressed worries that Salinas would want to micromanage the football program during the hiring process. However, Parr said Salinas has been outstanding as an athletic director and a mentor.

“I have zero complaints,” Parr said. “He’s introduced me to the right people and got over 250 people to the introductory press conference, many of whom were key people in the community. They didn’t just happen to show up – he ensured they were invited.”

Still, Parr said the interview process was one of the toughest he’s endured during his career.

“The interview process was grueling because this program is important to (Salinas), and he wanted to find someone who values the program as much as he does. He was pushing himself to make the right decision,” Parr said. “Since I’ve arrived, he’s been perfect in getting me onboarded, working through human resources, and finding a temporary living situation. He’s made this as seamless as possible, allowing us to close out the recruiting class.”

The Javelinas 2025 recruiting class comprises 34 high school players and nine mid-year transfers. It’s a remarkably talented class, considering the program had three different head coaches during the last few months.

“There were essentially the hands of three head coaches in this recruiting class. Mike was the head coach, then Jamison Bisch was the interim coach, and then I arrived late in the cycle,” Parr said. “Mike and Bisch did a great job of building a class, and many of the kids we recruited had already been on our campus several times in camps.”