Parker Stewart was named the new head boys basketball coach at Montgomery County on Friday afternoon. He replaced Dustin High, who served as the interim head coach this past season.

Stewart was the head coach for one season at Jackson County this year, who had a record of 21-10 after being 11-18 last season.

Montgomery County Schools released the following:

Mount Sterling, KY – Montgomery County High School is proud to announce the hiring of Parker Stewart as the next head coach of the MCHS boys’ basketball program.

Stewart brings a passion for developing student-athletes both on and off the court, along with a commitment to building a program centered on character, discipline, and competitive excellence.

Before coming to Montgomery County, Stewart served as head coach at Jackson County High School, where he made an immediate impact. In his lone season, he led the program to a 10-game improvement–jumping from 11 wins to 21–and was named the 13th Region Media Coach of the Year. Before his time at Jackson

County, Stewart worked with the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA, focusing on player development and advanced scouting, including skill development and opponent preparation.

Stewart also brings valuable playing experience at the highest levels. He played professionally overseas in the United Kingdom and Serbia following a standout collegiate career. At the Division I level, Stewart competed at UT Martin, the University of Pittsburgh, and Indiana University, where he scored more than 1,300 career points and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

A former standout at Union City High School in Tennessee, Stewart comes from a deep background in basketball and education. His father, who coached at the Division I level for more than 15 seasons, and his mother, a professor at UT Martin, have both played influential roles in his journey.

“I am incredibly grateful and blessed to accept the position as Head Coach at Montgomery County High School!” said Stewart. “I promise to work as hard as I can every day to help these young men grow–both on and off the court. Our goal is to build great basketball players, but even better young men.”

Stewart’s wife, Ally, also has a strong basketball background, having played Division | basketball at WU, EKU, and UT Martin. The couple is excited to begin this next chapter as they find a new home in the area and prepare to welcome their first child, Lana Drew, later this spring.

Stewart also comes highly recommended by those who have coached and mentored him throughout his career.

“Congratulations to Montgomery County High School on hiring Parker Stewart,” said Kevin Stallings, former Division I head coach. “In addition to being one of the most intelligent players I ever coached, Parker is also one of the best human beings that I have ever known. He will lead the young men in that program with class, dignity, and a competitive edge that will push everyone to reach their fullest potential.”

Principal Holly Lawson said, “We are thrilled to bring Coach Parker Stewart to Montgomery County High School. His NCAA playing experience, coaching upbringing, and time with the Atlanta Hawks will bring tremendous knowledge, passion, and dedication to our basketball program. Even more impressive is the overwhelming praise we’ve heard about his character–Coach Stewart is widely respected as both a coach and a person. We are excited to welcome him and his family to the Tribe.”

Montgomery County Schools looks forward to the boys’ basketball program’s future under Stewart’s leadership.

Original post from 10thRegion.com:

Parker Stewart wore No. 45 at Indiana in honor of his late father, Anthony, who also wore that number during his college playing career at Mount Union from 1989 to 1993. Stewart transferred to Indiana in January 2021 and, during the 2021-22 season, played in 34 games with 31 starts. He averaged 6.2 points per game, led the team in 3-pointers made with 53, and shot 39.3% from 3-point range. He also contributed 2.1 rebounds, 33 assists, and 14 steals, while posting several notable scoring performances, including 20 points at Syracuse and 16 points against Louisiana.

Before arriving at Indiana, Stewart played at UT Martin during the 2019-20 season, where he earned second-team All-OVC honors, OVC All-Newcomer recognition, and NABC All-District 18 second-team honors. He led the OVC in made 3-pointers per game at 2.8 and ranked among the league leaders in scoring, minutes, assists, and free throw percentage. He averaged 19.2 points per game overall and 20.0 points per game in conference play, while recording four 30-point games and 12 games with at least 20 points. Earlier in his college career, he played at Pitt in 2017-18, where he was named Academic All-ACC. As a freshman, he played in all 32 games with 20 starts, averaged 9.1 points per game, and set a school freshman record with 71 made 3-pointers.

Before college, Stewart had a strong high school career at Union City High School under coach Shane Sisco. He helped the program post an 81-25 record during his three seasons there and was a finalist for Tennessee’s Class A Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. As a junior, he averaged 21.0 points per game and helped Union City win a district championship. He also contributed to a 34-4 record and a state runner-up finish as a sophomore. Stewart also played successful AAU basketball, winning a national championship with King James Elite and later competing with Team Penny on the Nike EYBL circuit. He is the son of Cheryl and the late Anthony Stewart and has two siblings, Anthony and Skylar.