City were without a first team coach since Phil Brown vacated the post to take over as manager.
Parkin, who had been working with the team, joined the coaching staff officially at the end of January 2008, signing until the end of the season.
As a player he was a midfielder for Stoke, West Brom and Mansfield. He spent the last three years at Field Mill as player-manager, taking over the reigns at the age of 30 in 1996 after being club captain.
He then had a spell as Rochdale manager after hanging up his boots, before joining Barnsley, who he could only manage to take down after two seasons. After being sacked by the Tykes, he had a spell as Assistant Manager at Notts County before returning to Rochdale in 2003. He was sacked in December 2006.