Sept. 15, 2006

By Ken McDowell

Sports Editor

Darrel Parker accomplished just about everything a high school basketball coach can in his 27 years as head mentor of the Sterling Lady Tigers.

Parker resigned as coach of the Lady Tigers in June of 2005 after leading Sterling to it's first Class 4A state title in March of that year. After sitting out a full season of coaching he's back - not in the orange and black of SHS, but instead the black and gold of Northeastern Junior College (NJC) as head coach of the Plainswomen basketball team.

The final decision to hire Parker to replace Wendy Hirschfeld (who resigned Aug. 7) came down last week as he was one of three finalists for the job.

One of the main reasons why Parker resigned as head coach of the Lady Tigers was to spend time watching his children play sports. Sarah, who was a member of that SHS state championship team, is a sophomore on the Plainswomen squad this year.

His son Shay is a senior at SHS and plays football, basketball and competes in track. Darrel's youngest daughter Shelly is a sophomore, participating in volleyball, basketball and soccer at SHS. When the opportunity to apply for the coaching position at NJC came up, Parker, his wife Jonelle, and his children discussed in length the options of applying for the job.

"I saw the opportunity for a new career," Parker explained, "and we talked about the pros and cons as a family. The big thing for me was a career change and a chance to do something I have never done before."

"I am familiar with NJC, knowing what type of college it is along with the outstanding facilities as well as the support staff and the people involved with the basketball program. I also became very familiar with the program watching Sarah play last year, so I think this will be an exciting opportunity for me."

Parker will also leave his teaching position at SHS and will be a full-time instructor at NJC, giving him the opportunity to be on campus. At NJC Parker will teach Math, Physical Education as well as activities courses.

According to NJC Athletic Director Jerrod Samber, it was a scramble to get a new coach in place for the 2006-07 season after Hirschfeld turned in her resignation two weeks before classes at the college began. Samber said there was over 20 applicants for the job until the field was narrowed down to three finalists. Even though Parker was the front runner, Samber pointed out that the other applicants were also well qualified.

"We were very excited when Darrel submitted his application," he said. "Once he became an applicant he pretty well soared to the top of the list. We had some great candidates, but it's hard to beat Darrel's 27 years of basketball experience.

"We had to scramble to get the position filled, but we were relieved that there were some great candidates who wanted to come here, including Darrel. We are still ironing out some of the details of his contract with SHS, but practice starts Oct. 1 and he has already met with the team.

"Darrel is not only a basketball coach, but also an instructor at NJC. Just that combination is exactly what NJC was looking for."

Parker's record as Lady Tiger coach speaks for itself. From 1979-2005, Parker posted a career mark of 465-132. He had only one losing season, that coming in 1981 when the Lady Tigers were 9-11.

In 10 seasons Sterling won 20 or more games as well as capturing 10 conference championships. Parker's teams have won 15 district titles and he has coached 22 state qualifying teams. Sterling has been to the Final Four of the state basketball tournament 11 times under the direction of Parker, and the Lady Tigers were state runners-up three times before Sterling won the title in 2005.

He has also garnered numerous conference and state "Coach of the Year" honors, and last Spring was named "Regional Coach of the Year" for the 2004-05 season by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for girl's basketball.

Marci Henry, NJC volleyball coach, was a member of the selection committee that went through each and every application and made the final recommendation to hire Parker.

"Darrel has a great track record," Henry said. "He has proven himself as a teacher and a coach, and we were looking for somebody who is very good at both. So we're very excited to have him join us on the staff."

Henry added, "It's also exciting for me because when you work closely with other coaches you learn from them. Darrel has a lot of experience and he has been successful his entire career, so I am looking forward to learning some things from his as well."

Parker's daughter Sarah is also excited about the opportunity to play for her father one more season.

"At first I didn't even think he would apply," she said. "He asked me what I thought about it, and I knew that he wanted to coach again. I only get to play for him one more year, and he will coach here for several years, so I just want him to be happy."

Sarah is recovering from a knee injury she suffered last Spring, which is also an advantage to having her father coach as she continues her rehabilitation.

"It's nice to have him coach me again because he knows how I play and what to expect from me," she said. "I know I will have to work just as hard, but also don't have to prove myself again."

Sarah also had a little advice for her father as he will coach at the college level for the first time.

"It will be a big change for him," she stressed. "I asked him what he was going to do about the recruiting trips and things like that, because that is a big change. The level of play is so much higher than in high school as well as the time commitment.

"It's not just a season, but it's an all-year around commitment. But In high school you deal with the talent you have, and in college you get to pick and choose your talent. Dad knows so many coaches around the state and the area, so he has a very big advantage there."

Darrel admitted it was tough sitting out a year of coaching, an honor that had been a big part of his life for nearly three decades.

"I missed coaching last year. That was also a factor in my decision to apply, but I enjoyed watching my kids play sports. That was a big reason why I gave up coaching last year.

"But now I will still get to watch Sarah play and be a part of her program, as well as getting to see Shay and Shelly play. So the flexibility I have here is a little more that at the high school."

Parker agreed with Sarah that there will be an adjustment moving from the high school level to the college ranks.

"The biggest thing will be getting to know my recruits and learning how to recruit to my style," he said. "I don't think the coaching part changes that much because it's not that complicated. The biggest difference is the talent level that you're working with and what you do to get players into your program and then get them adjusted to the program."

Parker could also have a big advantage in recruiting since he is not only familiar with nearly every high school coach in the state, but he is also very respected by his former peers.

"I hope that helps a lot," he said. "I have talked with several people about that, and they have told me that making contacts is probably the biggest ally," he said. "Talking to the kids and parents will be very important.

"In high school you are pretty well much given the players and you relate to them that way. In the recruiting scene you're entrusting yourself with the players for a couple of years and helping them get on track for the goals they have set for themselves. I feel pretty comfortable with doing that."

Parker also admitted that there are plenty of talented players locally that could help the NJC program be successful.

"I think you can win in this program with local talent," he said. "You will also need to mix in some other players, but there is no doubt in my mind that you can win with northern Colorado athletes as well as ones from the smaller towns."

That is another big factor which also pushed Parker to the top of the list, according to Samber.

"Since Darrel coached high school basketball for 27 years he knows every single coach in Colorado," he said. "That will be a huge recruiting tool for NJC by not only getting Colorado kids, but good Colorado kids."