The Mt. Hope football team kicks off their season with new head coach Shane Parker, as they play their annual injury fund game at Tiverton on Thursday night. 

Parker, who recently coached at Classical as a defensive coordinator and at Portsmouth as an offensive coordinator, takes over for long time head coach Thomas Del Santo Jr., who directed the Huskies to several playoff seasons during his tenure. 

“The Mt. Hope football coaching position has been a job that I have coveted for a long time,” said Parker. “This is the community that my wife, Kelsea, and I chose to make our home and raise our son, Peter. I have always felt comfortable here and I am glad to be back.”

Parker played football, basketball and lacrosse at Middletown High School from 2000 to 2003. He attended Assumption College after high school and played football there for two years and was an offensive line coach for Becker College in 2007. 

He had four stints on the Huskies football coaching staff. He coached under Ron Silva for three years from 2009 to 2011. Then came back for a year under coach Del Santo in 2019. 

Coach Parker also coaches lacrosse in Tiverton, where he directed the Tigers to nine semifinals games and won a championship in 2014. 

“Shane is a great teacher and promoter of the game,” said athletic director Christy Belisle. “He is a focused, team development guy, who looks to move the team forward together. He understands that he’s coaching a young group and is focused on fundamentals and cohesion in year one.”

“For me, coaching football is the place that I can make the most impact on the world,” Parker said. “There are a lot of life lessons that they can learn from football. I can teach life lessons and help the kids turn into good men.”