Upper Iowa University Football

Coaching Staff

Rhett Mizer | Assistant Coach – Linebackers

Rhett Mizer returns for his third season as an assistant coach with the Peacock football program in 2023 after two years as a graduate assistant with the defense. Mizer will work with the Peacock secondary again this season.

Mizer came to Upper Iowa from Bethany College where he graduated in December of 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in sports management and was a four-year starter on their football team. Mizer succeeded both on and off the field at Bethany College as he posted an impressive 3.96 cumulative GPA and ended his career as the Bison all-time and single season leading tackler.

Additionally, Mizer was selected as All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference three times in his career, he was selected as the team MVP his junior season and served as a team captain during his senior season. Mizer is set to coach the Peacock defensive backs as he played safety all four years at Bethany.

Heath Parling | Assistant Coach – Quaterbacks

Heath Parling joined the Peacock football coaching staff as an assistant coach in the spring of 2022. Having initially worked with the wide receivers and quarterbacks, Parling was promoted to offensive coordinator this past spring.

Parling worked with the quarterbacks and offensive skill positions at Colorado State (2020, 2021) and Miami (2018, 2019). Prior to his time with the Rams and Redhawks, he was an assistant coach at Marian University for three seasons from 2015-17. At Marian, Parling coached the quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Parling was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Lakers of Grand Valley State University. Parling finished his career with 89 TD passes and over 7,000 yds and served as a three-year team captain. In 2011, he was a DII Quarterback of the Year Finalist and the NCAA Division II National Leader in passing efficiency.

Parling holds a Bachelor's degree in history from Grand Valley State, a Master’s degree in sport management from Colorado State and a Master’s certificate in sport management from Miami.

Rob Goode | Assistant Coach - Defensive Backs

Robert Goode joined the Peacock football coaching staff in May of 2024 as an assistant coach and will work with the defensive backs.

Goode came to Upper Iowa after spending the past two seasons at Loras College as he took on the role of the special teams coordinator, while also coaching the defensive line and linebackers.

Prior to his tenure with Loras, Goode was the defensive coordinator for the University of Montana Western from 2013-22. While at Montana Western, he produced one NFL player and coached 28 all-conference selections which includes three Defensive Player of the Year award winners as well as two AP First Team All-Americans. Goode led Montana Western to the #1 ranked rush defense in the conference from 2014-16 while also forcing the most turnovers in 2018 and 2019.

A native of Durand, Ill. Goode graduated from Rockford College while also working as a Graduate Assistant Football Coach. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2005 and his Master of Arts in Teaching in 2007.

Markhus Taylor | Assistant Coach – Wide Receivers

Markhus Taylor joined the Peacock football coaching staff in the summer of 2024 as an assistant and wide receivers coach.

Prior to UIU, Taylor worked as a cornerbacks coach for the University of Sioux Falls in 2023 and a running backs coach for the University of Dubuque in 2022.

During his collegiate playing career, Taylor spent three seasons as a starting cornerback for Dubuque, where he earned his bachelor's degree in health science and master's degree in business administration.

Max Longman | Assistant Coach – Offensive Line

Max Longman joined the Peacock football coaching staff in the summer of 2024 as an assistant and offensive line coach.

Longman graduated from the University of Indiana in 2023, where he appeared in four games on the offensive line.

Prior to joining Indiana, Longman spent four seasons with the University of Massachusetts, where he served as team captain. During his UMass career, he appeared in 31 games, making 25 starts.

Markhus Taylor | Assistant Coach – Wide Receivers

Markhus Taylor joined the Peacock football coaching staff in the summer of 2024 as an assistant and wide receivers coach.

Prior to UIU, Taylor worked as a cornerbacks coach for the University of Sioux Falls in 2023 and a running backs coach for the University of Dubuque in 2022.

During his collegiate playing career, Taylor spent three seasons as a starting cornerback for Dubuque, where he earned his bachelor's degree in health science and master's degree in business administration.

Max Longman | Assistant Coach – Offensive Line

Max Longman joined the Peacock football coaching staff in the summer of 2024 as an assistant and offensive line coach.

Longman graduated from the University of Indiana in 2023, where he appeared in four games on the offensive line.

Prior to joining Indiana, Longman spent four seasons with the University of Massachusetts, where he served as team captain. During his UMass career, he appeared in 31 games, making 25 starts.

Matt Vargas | Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Matt Vargas became the head strength and conditioning coach at Upper Iowa in March 2023. Vargas comes to Upper Iowa from the University of Arkansas, where he served as the strength and conditioning head intern for two seasons. In his two seasons with the Razorbacks, he was instrumental in the team's first bowl-game win in five years. 

While at Arkansas, he assisted in all aspects of off-season and in-season strength and conditioning for the football program and ran several stations that involved warm up, speed school, and position-specific drills.

Prior to joining the Razorback staff in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Vargas was the graduate assistant in strength and conditioning for a year at Chadron State College before being promoted to assistant coach for a year.

With Chadron State, Vargas was involved with all 11 of the Eagle sport programs and was the primary contact and director of strength and conditioning for women’s basketball and the cross country programs.

Vargas holds certifications in CSCCa SCCC, USA Weightlifting Level 1 and AED/CPR.

As a student-athlete at Chadron State, Vargas was a four-year member of the football team. He earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior, as well as academic all-conference honors in each of his four seasons. Vargas served as a team captain during his senior season.

Vargas graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in sports and recreation management and exercise science and a Master’s degree in organizational management from Chadron State.

Cole Ivey | Assistant Strength Coach

Cole Ivey joined the UIU Strength & Conditioning staff as a part-time assistant coach in January of 2024, and was promoted to the full-time Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach in June of 2024. 

Prior to joining the Peacocks, Ivey worked as a football strength and conditioning assistant coach at Jacksonville State where he received his Master's of Science in Education with a Nutrition emphasis. While coaching, he was in charge of executing training sessions for the defensive line, running backs, slot receivers and tight ends. Ivey also worked as an Olympic assistant strength and conditioning coach at JSU where he was the head of strength training for men's basketball, women's soccer, and men and women's golf.

Ivey earned his bachelor's of science in kinesiology with an exercise science emphasis from the University of Arkansas while working as a football strength and conditioning intern.