Former Pitt Panthers goalie joins Hawks coaching staff

PITTSBURGH — Former Pitt Panthers guard Parker Stewart recently announced a new position: He will end his playing career and become a coach.

He posted on Twitter that he would be joining the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff as an associate of development, advanced scouting and video.

Stewart committed to Pitt in the 2017 class, with 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN rating him as a three-star. He chose Pitt over other schools Ole Miss, Nebraska, Georgetown and Kansas State.

He starred at Union City High School in Union City, Tennessee, averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a senior while finishing as a finalist for Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Class A Division I Player of the Year.

Stewart played just one season for the Panthers as a freshman in the 2017–18 season, starting 20 of 32 games. He averaged 26.2 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 38.3 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from 3-point range and 80.0 percent from the free throw line.

He led the Panthers in 3-point shooting and his 71 3-pointers made and 184 3-pointers attempted still stand as program records for a freshman.

His best game of the season came in a road loss to Syracuse on Jan. 16, where he scored 23 points and shot 7 of 13 from three-point range. Those seven three-pointers he made are the most three-pointers made by a freshman in Pitt history.

Guard Bub Carrington tied Stewart’s freshman 3-point record last season in a blowout road win over Boston College on March 2, where he scored 27 points and shot 7 of 12 from three-point range.

Stewart then transferred to play for his father, Anthony Stewart, at UT-Martin and missed the 2018-19 season due to transfer rules. He then played the 2019-20 season, starting 24 of 25 games, averaging 36.2 minutes, 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game and shooting 41.2% from the field, 34.8% from three-point range and 76.6% from the free throw line.

His father died unexpectedly before the start of the following season, which Stewart was absent for the entire duration.

Stewart was then traded to Indiana for the 2021-22 season, where he started 31 of 34 games. He averaged 24.4 minutes, 6.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, while shooting 37.4 percent from the field, a career-high 39.3 percent from behind the arc and 64.3 percent from the free throw line.

His play helped Indiana reach the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament and go 21-14 that season.

Stewart elected to return to UT-Martin for his final collegiate season in 2022-23, where he started all 30 games, averaging 31.5 minutes and 16.1 points per game, while grabbing 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 39.9 percent from the field, 37.2 percent from three-point range and 75.2 percent from the free throw line.

He spent last season abroad, playing in Serbia and the UK, before deciding to end his playing career and devote himself to coaching.

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