JACKSON - Just a few months removed from guiding Northwest to its second consecutive MACCC championship, head football coach Benjy Parker has been named as the Region 23 Coach of the Year for the second straight season, the conference office confirmed on Monday.

Parker led Northwest to a 9-3 overall record, as the Rangers bounced back from a 3-2 start to the season to successfully defend their MACCC championship. Northwest has now won 11 conference titles in program history and three since 2015, and were one of four teams to participate in the inaugural NJCAA Division I Football Playoffs this season.

Since taking over the head coaching reins ahead of the 2016 season, Parker has led Northwest to both a winning record and a playoff appearance every year, including the 2020 National Community College Football Championship. Under Parker's leadership, the Rangers hold an overall record of 48-14 and a 30-6 mark against division opponents.

Northwest has also won three MACCC North Division titles under Parker (2017, 2019, 2020) and have been a mainstay in the NJCAA national rankings. Though he still ranks second all-time in career victories behind Bobby Franklin's total of 201 (1981-2004), Parker's current overall winning percentage of .774 ranks first all-time.

Parker first arrived at Northwest as the program's defensive coordinator in 2014, helping the Rangers to back-to-back playoff berths and the 2015 NJCAA championship. His coaching career spans 24 years and includes stops at Jones College, Northeast and Butler (Kan.), along with an eight-year stint as a defensive position coach at Troy.