Bernie Parmalee Position: Tight Ends Coach Alma Mater: Ball State '91

Since Charlie Weis became the Irish head coach three seasons ago, arguably no position has enjoyed an increase in production as much as the tight end spot."

For all three of those years, Bernie Parmalee has served as the position coach of the tight ends and has seen two of his pupils become the second- and third-most prolific tight ends in school history. Based on the production of Anthony Fasano and John Carlson, coupled with the recent addition of top tight end talent such as Mike Ragone, Kyle Rudolph and Joseph Fauria, Notre Dame is on its way to becoming "Tight End U."

Over the last three National Football League drafts, there have been 11 tight ends selected in the first or second round. Notre Dame is the only school to have multiple selections of the 11 as Carlson was taken by the Seattle Seahawks with the 38th pick overall in the 2008 draft and Fasano was drafted with the 53rd selection of the 2006 draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

Carlson started the final 23 games in which he appeared and left the program with the second-most receptions and third-most receiving yards in a career by a tight end. Carlson recorded the second and fifth-most catches in a single season by an Irish tight end when he recorded 47 catches and 40 receptions in 2006 and 2007. In '07, he led the team in receptions and his 372 receiving yards also paced the Irish. Will Yeatman started two games as the Irish opened in a two-tight end package and made six catches for 37 yards. Ragone also earned playing time in his freshman season in `07 and made solid improvements under Parmalee's watch.

Carlson was on pace to shatter the school record in 2006 for receptions and receiving yards in a season by a tight end before a knee injury sidelined him for the final two and a half games of the regular season. Still, Carlson registered 47 receptions (tied for second most by a tight end in a season in school history) for 634 yards (second most by a Notre Dame tight end in a season) and four touchdowns. He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award and named a second-team All-American by SI.com. In his absence, Marcus Freeman emerged in his fifth year, totaling 98 yards on nine receptions with two touchdowns.

Fasano, a finalist for the 2005 John Mackey Award presented annually to college football's finest tight end, posted impressive numbers with 47 catches (second most in a season by an Irish tight end) for 576 yards (third most by a Notre Dame tight end) and two TDs. Fasano and Carlson combined for 54 catches for 632 yards and three TDs in 2005. Fasano finished his career at Notre Dame with 92 receptions (third most by an Irish tight end) for 1,102 yards (second best by and Irish tight end).

Parmalee's past role on special teams helped Notre Dame produce a consistent opportunistic unit that produced two TDs (both on punt returns), three blocked punts and two blocked field goals.

Parmalee finished his third season as a member of the Dolphins' staff and his first as Miami tight end coach in 2004. He spent the 2003 season as an assistant special teams/offensive assistant with the Dolphins. He embarked on his NFL coaching career in 2002 as Miami's assistant special teams coach after a nine-year playing career, including the first seven (1992-98) with the Dolphins and the final two (1999-2000) with the New York Jets.

He played from 1992-95 under legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula, 1996-98 with Miami under Jimmy Johnson and 1999-2000 with the Jets under Bill Parcells and Al Groh, respectively (Irish head coach Charlie Weis was the Jets' offensive coordinator in 1999).

In 2002, Parmalee helped the Dolphins rank second in the American Football Conference in kickoff return average (23.5), while Miami's opponents finished with the fourth-lowest punt return average (7.0) in the AFC. Meanwhile, kicker Olindo Mare connected on 24 of 31 field goals. In 2003, Miami's punt-return defense again rated among the AFC leaders (tied for second at 6.4). Under Parmalee's tutelage in 2004, third-year Dolphin Randy McMichael ranked among the league leaders in receptions by a tight end with 73 for 791 yards and four TDs.

A featured running back, starting fullback (four games in 1997), third-down back and special teams stalwart at different times during his professional career, Parmalee played in 134 NFL games, starting 26 of them (10 in 1994, 12 in 1995 and four in 1997, all for the Dolphins). He rushed for 2,179 career yards and 17 TDs on 567 carries, caught 168 career passes for 1,485 yards and three TDs and returned 16 career kickoffs for an 18.1-yard average.

Parmalee originally made Miami's roster as an undrafted rookie free agent in 1992 after sitting out of football in 1991. In his seven seasons with the club, he amassed 1,959 yards rushing and 15 TDs on 513 attempts, and totaled 144 receptions for 1,306 yards and three scores. His rushing figure currently is 12th on the Dolphins' all-time chart.

He led the team in rushing two straight years - with 868 yards (216 attempts, six TDs) in 1994 for a Dolphins team that finished 10-6, won the AFC Eastern Division title and won a wild-card playoff game against Kansas City, then with 878 yards (236 attempts, nine TDs) in 1995 on a Miami team that finished 9-7 and earned a wild-card playoff slot. He also caught a career-high 39 passes for 345 yards and a TD in 1995, after grabbing 34 for 249 yards and a score in '94. Parmalee ranked eighth in the AFC in rushing in '94.

His single-game high of 150 rushing yards came against the Los Angeles Raiders in 1994 (on a career-high 30 attempts) - and he added 123 yards a week later versus New England to set a Dolphin record for combined rushing yards in consecutive games. He notched three rushing TDs in a game against Detroit in 1994. Three of his 100-yard rushing efforts came in 1994, the other three in 1995. He ranked as the NFL's most improved running back in 1994, going from 14 rushing yards in 1993 to 868 in 1994.

In addition, Parmalee established himself as one of the league's premier special teams players during his tenure, recording 122 tackles on coverage units, including 31 in 1997 and 30 in 1998. He served as Dolphins special teams captain in 1997 and 1998.

Parmalee was a four-year starter (1987-90) as a running back under coach Paul Schudel at Ball State where he remains the Cardinals' all-time leading rusher with 3,483 yards and 26 TDs. He also caught 96 career passes for 812 yards and three TDs. He earned second-team all-Mid-American Conference honors as a senior in 1990 when he rushed for 1,010 yards and caught 30 passes. The best of his 16 career 100-yard rushing days came as a senior when he gained 169 yards against Illinois State. He also had a 200-yard rushing outing as a freshman in 1987.

He became the Ball State career rushing leader as a junior when he carried for 662 yards and five TDs. Parmalee also rushed for 1,064 yards and 13 TDs as a freshman when he was named the MAC Freshman of the Year. He earned his degree in business administration from the Muncie, Ind., school in 1991.

A native of Jersey City, N.J., Bernard Parmalee lettered in football (once) and baseball (three times) at Lincoln (N.J.) High School. Born Sept. 16, 1967, he and his wife, Angela, are parents of a daughter, Nakia Marie, and two sons, Tre Bernard and Torian.