TOLEDO, Ohio — Pat Bastien and Corey Parker have been hired as assistant football coaches at the University of Toledo, Head Coach Jason Candle announced today. Bastien will coach the linebackers, while Parker will handle the cornerbacks.

Bastien, comes from Western Kentucky University, where he was the linebackers coach in 2021. He has also held assistant coaching positions at Georgia Southern (2016-17), Southern (2018), Georgia (2018-19), Marshall (2020) and Western Kentucky (2021). He was named to 247 Sports' "30Under30" rising star list in 2017.

Parker has been the head coach at River Rouge (Mich.) High School since 2009. He also has served as the school's dean of students since 2009 and athletic director since 2016. He is a three-time regional coach of the year and earned state coach of the year honors in 2015 and 2019. He led River Rouge to a state title in 2019.

"You're always looking for great teachers who do a good job of fostering relationships with the players, and I think Pat and Corey will do that for us," said Candle, who will be entering his seventh season as Toledo's head coach. "Both guys are tremendous teachers who will add value in recruiting, and will bring a lot of energy to the practice field."

Pat Bastien
Pat Bastien joins the Rockets following a highly successful season at Western Kentucky in which the Hilltoppers went 9-5, were Conference USA East Division champions and defeated Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Bastien was a linebacker at UAB from 2009-13 and has been coaching In the college ranks for the past eight years. He began as a graduate assistant at UCF in 2014. Since then, he has held positions at Georgia Southern (2016-17), Southern (2018), Georgia (2018-19), Marshall (2020) and Western Kentucky (2021).

"Pat is an outstanding teacher and brings a lot of football knowledge to our program," said Candle. "He's been a part of some great defensive staffs. They had the No. 1 defense in the country when he was at Marshall, and he learned a lot under Coach (Kirby) Smart at Georgia when he was there. Those experiences are invaluable when it comes to the schematics of things on the chalkboard. Then you want to make it come to life in your relationships, and I think Pat really understands that part of it."

"I'm really excited to be joining the staff at Toledo," said Bastien. "I have great respect for the University, and for the tradition of success in the football program. I also have tremendous respect for Coach Candle and how he operates. He has built a great program and put together a really good staff. I can't wait to pick up my sword and go to battle."

As cornerbacks coach at Marshall, Bastien helped the Thundering Herd lead the FBS in points allowed (13.0) while ranking fourth in rushing defense (95.5 yards), 11th in passing defense (183.9 yards) and second in total defense (279.4 yards). Cornerback Steven Gilmore was voted to the 2020 All-Conference USA First Team after recording 39 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception in his junior campaign.

Prior to his stint at Marshall, Bastien was assistant director of player development at Georgia for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Bulldogs made back-to-back Sugar Bowl appearances, including a 26-14 victory over Baylor on New Year's Day 2020. That season, Georgia led FBS in points allowed (12.6) and rushing defense (74.6 yards), while ranking third in total defense (275.7 yards).

Before going to Georgia, he had a short stint at Southern during the 2018 offseason. He coached linebackers at Georgia Southern for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, making an immediate impact with the Eagles in his first year as two linebackers topped the 100-tackle mark. Senior linebacker Ironhead Gallon earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors with 102 tackles and Ukeme Eligwe led the squad with 104 stops, earning a spot on the Sun Belt All-Newcomer squad. Eligwe was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and Gallon signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

Bastien began his coaching career at UCF as a defensive graduate assistant during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2014, the Knights went 9-4 and were co-American Athletic Conference champions. Among FBS teams, UCF ranked ninth in points allowed (19.2), sixth in rushing defense (104.3 yards) and fifth in total defense (298.5 yards).

A native of Immokalee, Fla., Bastien had a stellar career at UAB from 2009-13. He was a four-time letterman for the Blazers and was named a team captain for his senior season. The linebacker appeared in 44 games and was a three-year starter. Bastien graduated from UAB in May 2013 with a bachelor's degree in sports leadership.

Bastien and his wife Deborah have four-year-old twins – a son, Princeton, and a daughter, Payton.
 
Corey Parker
Corey Parker inherited a River Rouge High School program that won just eight games in the four years prior to his arrival in 2009 and turned it into a state power. The Panthers have qualified for the state playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons, earning seven district titles, five regional crowns and three appearances in the state championship game. River Rouge won the Division 3 state title in 2019.

Parker said it was not easy to leave his life in Rover Rouge.

"This has been a very emotional time for me and my family," said Parker. "I put my heart and soul into everything I did at River Rouge. I'm proud of everything we achieved there, the foundation that has been left in place. It's been a blessing. I got to coach in three state championship and help send over 100 kids into colleges around the country.

"I have had other opportunities over the past several years, but I just felt Toledo was the right challenge for me. There was something about Coach Candle that made me feel that this is the right move for me. I played in the MAC and Toledo was always one of the favorites. It's championship-caliber football. Plus the proximity to River Rouge and my wife's family means they will not have to travel far to come to our games."

Parker graduated from St. Martin De Porres High School in Detroit. He was a three-time letterwinner as a defensive back at Eastern Michigan where he earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 2005.  

Parker began his coaching career as a defensive backs coach at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 2006. He went on to coach defensive backs and wide receivers at Ann Arbor Huron High School in 2007 before accepting the position of co-defensive coordinator at Inkster High School in 2008. In 2009, he became the head coach at River Rouge.

"Corey wore a lot of different hats at River Rouge, and that experience will help benefit our program," said Candle. "His football success speaks for itself, but he has also had a very positive influence on the students in his role as an athletic director and dean of students. I think the energy and passion he brings will be a tremendous addition to our program."

Parker and his wife Autumn have three children, a son Corey Jr. (9), and two daughters, Avery (6) and Ashlynn (2).