The Michael Parker File • Native of Bradford, England. • Earned a bachelor of science from Madeley College in Staffordshire, England in 1968 and a masters of education degree from North Carolina in 1971. • Served as head coach at Lock Haven from 1976-1983 where he compiled a record of 112-27-7 (.789). • Led Lock Haven to Division III National Championships in 1977 and 1978, then to a Division II National Championship in 1980.
Success has followed Michael Parker throughout his collegiate coaching career. One of the winningest coaches in collegiate soccer history, Parker enters his 30th season as a head coach having won six national titles, rolling up 435 wins and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, and never having endured a losing record in 29 seasons as a head coach. To put Parker’s success into perspective, only 10 coaches in collegiate soccer history (all divisions) have ever won more games. Parker is one of 18 coaches in collegiate soccer history to ever win 400 games (only eight of those ever coached in Division I). In addition, Parker ranks first among active Division I coaches in victories and is also fourth in winning percentage at .736. That percentage ranks 16th all-time in Division I history. For all of his accolades at UNCG, Parker is to be inducted into the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame this Fall, making him the first male coach to be inducted while still active. Entering his 30th season overall and his 22nd at UNCG, Parker has a career record of 435-149-23. In his 21 seasons at UNCG, Parker has amassed a record of 323-121-16, which computes to a .720 winning percentage. Parker’s six national titles –– five in Division III and one in Division II –– rank him first among active men’s collegiate coaches. He is second all-time to the late Bob Guelker, who won seven championships in 29 years. In 1993, Parker became the first men’s soccer coach in NCAA history to lead a team to the NCAA Tournament in all three divisions. Last year, Parker coached in his 600th collegiate match when UNCG hosted High Point on October 27. At that time, UNCG was also ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time since its move to NCAA Division I in 1991 and in the midst of 17-match unbeaten string to open the season. Proof yet again that the ‘ol coach hadn’t lost his magic touch. For his efforts, he earned NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year and SoCon Coach of the Year. Parker came to UNCG in 1984 with the difficult task of continuing the success of a club which had won back-to-back national titles in 1982 and 1983 under the guidance of UNCG Hall of Fame member Mike Berticelli. But the Spartans won the Division III national crown in 1985, Parker’s second year at UNCG, which earned him Division III National Coach of the Year from the NSCAA and Dixie Conference Coach of the Year. He followed that by directing the team to national titles in 1986 and 1987, becoming the first coach to win three straight NCAA men’s soccer national championships. In their gradual climb to Division I status, the Spartans were the NCAA Division II national runners-up in 1989 and Parker was named Division II National Coach of the Year by the NSCAA. Parker became the first coach in NCAA history to reach the NCAA Tournament at the Division I, II and III levels when his 1993 squad made a Division I appearance. Since then, the Spartans have qualified for the NCAA Tournament a total of seven times as a Division I member, including a second round appearance in 1998 and a round of 16 appearance
Most Victories By Division I Active Head Coaches 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Coach, Curent Team Michael Parker, UNCG Schellas Hyndman, SMU John Rennie, Duke Tom Martin, James Madison Mark Berson, South Carolina Bobby Gray, Marshall Ralph Lundy, Coll. of Charleston Bob Reasso, Rutgers Karl Kremser, Fla. International Gary Parsons, Oakland
Yrs. Won Lost 29 435 149 28 421 109 33 413 191 28 387 127 28 379 141 28 351 153 29 342 216 26 325 150 28 323 193 24 322 107
Tied 23 40 42 42 43 37 37 66 37 49
Pct. .736 .774 .672 .734 .711 .683 .606 .662 .618 .725
(Minimum five years as a Division I head coach; includes all victories as coach at a four-year institution)
• 2005 UNCG Men’s Soccer Media Guide
• Took over as head coach of UNCG for the 1984 season and has led UNCG to a 323-121-16 record in his 21 years. He won his 300th game at UNCG on Oct. 12, 2003 with a win over Mercer. • Led UNCG to three straight NCAA Division III National Championship in 1985, 1986 and 1987 to become the first men’s soccer coach to win three straight national titles. Has also led the Spartans to nine conference titles, including three in the SoCon. • Was the first collegiate men’s soccer coach to lead a school to the NCAA Tournament in all three divisions. • His 435 career wins rank 11th in NCAA men’s soccer history and are the most among active Div. I coaches. • Enters the 2005 season fourth in winning percentage (.735) among active Div. I coaches and 16th all-time in Div. I history. • Named Conference Coach of the Year in 1985 (Dixie), 1996 (Big South) and 2004 (Southern Conference) • Member of the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame 2005 Induction Class, making him the first active male coach to be enshrined.
Year 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Parker’s Year-by-Year Record
Team Postseason Lock Haven Lock Haven NCAA Champs Lock Haven NCAA Champs Lock Haven NCAA Tourn. Lock Haven NCAA Champs Lock Haven NCAA Tourn. Lock Haven Lock Haven NCAA Tourn. UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG NCAA Champs UNCG NCAA Champs UNCG NCAA Champs UNCG UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG UNCG UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG UNCG NCAA Tourn. UNCG UNCG UNCG UNCG UNCG UNCG NCAA Tourn.
Overall Record At UNCG
Div. III III III III II II II II III III III III II II II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Record 6-4-2 14-4-0 18-2-0 16-4-0 21-0-0 12-5-2 11-5-2 14-3-1 17-2-2 20-5-0 18-5-0 17-7-1 13-7-0 19-4-1 14-6-0 13-6-1 14-8-0 14-6-2 17-5-0 12-5-3 21-2-0 14-7-0 19-4-2 13-8-0 12-7-1 13-8-0 14-8-0 10-8-2 19-3-1
435-148-23 (29 Years) 323-121-16 (21 Years) 2004 Southern Conference Champions