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Bruce Parker - Biography

Bruce Parker continues to direct Carroll’s athletic fortunes as the department’s Director of Athletics. Beginning his seventh year, Parker currently serves as the President of the National Athletic Directors Association (ADA) for the nearly 300 NAIA institutions and was appointed to serve on the NAIA National Administrative Council, keeping Carroll College in the forefront of NAIA Athletics.  During his term as Athletic Director at Carroll, Parker has been honored as the NAIA National Athletic Director of the Year as well as twice being recognized as the NAIA Region I Athletic Director of the Year and the Frontier AD of the year on three occasions.  He was also recently honored as one of the 2009 Under Armour “Athletic Directors of the Year” by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).  During his term as Athletic Director at Carroll, Parker was also appointed by NAIA CEO and President Jim Carr to the NAIA National Strategic Planning Council and to the NAIA National Marketing Committee.

The athletics and academic successes have been plentiful at Carroll under Parker.  The Fighting Saints have captured the Frontier Conference George Bandy Memorial All-Sports Trophy twice in Parker’s tenure and finished second three times.  The Fighting Saint football program has won nine consecutive Frontier Conference championships including five NAIA National Football Championships.  Conference championships and national tournament appearances have also been plentiful in men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and soccer.  Last season was not only a successful year for Carroll athletics on the field or court; all nine of Carroll’s athletics teams were honored as NAIA Scholar Teams. The teams earned at least a 3.0 team grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) during the academic year.  This marks the first time in school history since the recent addition of men’s and women’s cross country that every team at Carroll has earned the NAIA Team Scholar award.

“Bruce has exceeded all of the standard expectations that a college president would have for an athletic director,” said Carroll President Tom Trebon. “He has mobilized fan and corporate support that has created excitement on our campus, in our athletic programs within the city of Helena and across Montana. He has provided leadership at a time of unprecedented success in our individual sports and supported the success with significant fundraising and community outreach. Bruce has transformed the face of Carroll athletics and its role in our community.” The other accomplishments spearheaded by Parker during his tenure have included record attendance at home athletic events, hosting numerous NAIA National Football playoff games, record-setting years with corporate fund raising, a 40 percent increase in funds generated by the Saints’ Athletic Association (SAA), and a record-setting year at the SAA auction. Parker has exceeded the college’s expectations for fundraising by the athletic department and has taken strides towards initiating enhancements to athletic facilities on Carroll’s campus. Fighting Saints’ fans have enjoyed the new seating in the Carroll College PE Center gymnasium along with numerous other upgrades in the historic building, bringing it up to par with the championship caliber teams that play in it.  Plans are also underway for an artificial playing surface in Nelson Stadium as well as additional visitor seating and lights.  Parker has also been involved in the community with numerous fund raising activities tied with Saints’ Athletics.

In his six years at Carroll, the Athletic Department has dominated its Frontier Conference foes. The football program has won nine consecutive Frontier Conference Championships, including five NAIA National Football Championships.  Last season, the football team advanced to the NAIA title game for the sixth time in the past seven years.  Both the men’s and women’s basketball programs have experienced much success in recent years. The women’s team set a school record of 30-4 in 2005-06, which also included a Frontier Conference Tournament title in addition to a trip to the NAIA “Sweet Sixteen”. In 2008 the women qualified for the NAIA National tournament for the fifth straight season and advanced to the “Elite Eight” for the first time in school history.  The men’s
program also set a school record at 30-4 in 2005-06, and has eclipsed the 20-victory mark eight out of the past nine seasons and has appeared in the NAIA National Tournament five of the past eight seasons, including a trip to the “Fab Four” as well as two appearances to the “Elite Eight.”

The Carroll soccer program has won or shared the past two Frontier Conferences titles and earned trips to the NAIA National Tournament two of the past three seasons.  Saints’ volleyball consistently battles for league supremacy and will be one of the favorites for this year’s title. In only it’s second year of competition,  the Carroll men’s and women’s cross country teams finished third at the conference championship, with Taylor Gregory becoming the first Saint runner to qualify and compete in the NAIA Championships.   Carroll will also field its strongest women’s and men’s golf teams in school history this season.

Parker a 1979 graduate of Eastern Montana College (now MSU-Billings) with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and marketing, formerly served as Associate Athletic Director at Montana State University in Bozeman during his 22-year tenure at the NCAA Institution. Parker and his wife Lisa, a teacher at Helena High, have two sons, Ryan of Helena, and Brett, the new men’s head soccer coach at Lyon College in Arkansas.