After 40 seasons, Jack Parker determined that “It’s time.”
Concluding four decades of head coaching at the highest
level of college hockey and doing so without undue fanfare, Terrier Head Coach
Jack Parker announced, on his 68th birthday, that he’ll step down at the end of the current
season.
At a packed press conference at Agganis Arena, Parker told
the crowd, “It has been a
great run. I had a great time doing it. I always talk about BU being a family.
I’ve got two daughters and 226 sons and the team that I have here right now are
my youngest sons. And I’m not going to have any more children.”
"I
didn't want to go through a farewell tour of the other rinks in the
league," he added. "At the same time, I didn't want to wait until the
end of the year when all the games were over.
With his contract extended through 2018 and a new role as special assistant to President Robert Brown, Parker will remain involved with the University’s ambitious
$1 billion fund-raising
campaign, announced last summer, and he will play an active role in
selecting his successor.
Among the
throng of former Terriers who turned out to honor Parker were his first three
captains, Ed Walsh, Vic Stanfield and Peter Brown, each of whom gained
All-American honors under Parker.
Current
captain Wade Megan said, “He's not just a hockey coach. He's a life coach. I'm
just grateful that he, not only gave me the opportunity to play here, but gave
me the chance to be captain."
January 2009: 800th win
Parker’s rival and friend BC’s Jerry York said in a
statement: “Jack and I
have enjoyed a relationship that has stood the test of time. “It goes back to
our high school days and dates back 50 years. We’ve competed against one
another and we’ve coached against one another for a long, long time." He added, "There have
been so many unbelievable games that have provided countless memories for the
both of us. From recruiting to coaching against one another in big games, we’ve
maintained respect for one another.
Other alums who joined the current Terriers at the event included Pat Aufiero, Mike Bavis, Don “Toot” Cahoon, Colby Cohen, Jon Coleman, Brian Collins, Cleon Daskalakis, Robbie Davies, Dale Dunbar, Brian Durocher, Mike Eruzione, Peter Fish, Dennis O'Connell, Paul Giandomenico, Mike Grier, Kevin Kielt, Scott Lachance, Peter Marshall, John McCarthy, Bob Murray, Chris O'Sullivan, Kevin O'Sullivan, Buddy Powers, Tommy Ryan, David Sacco, Mike Sylvia, David Silk and Brad Zancanaro.
● GoTerriers.com: press
release, Parker-through-the-years photo
gallery, Tweets from current/former players
● Press conference video
● Daily Free
Press: press conference coverage
● Boston Hockey Blog: six potential successors
College Hockey News press
conference overage , Time
With Parker Always Well Spent, top
candidates, Resisting
the temptation to leave
● College Hockey Inc.: Former players twitter
tributes
● USCHO: “It’s
been a great run” and Parker’s coaching record
● ESPN/AP press conference coverage, commentary and photos: Stayed on top of game
● Boston Globe press conference coverage
►Tomorrow, Parker will be back to his coaching duties, preparing for the Hockey East quarterfinal series with Merrimack and participating in the conference coaches media teleconference.
► From the New York Times, a feature on Elliott Dribben, whom Parker calls "BU's greatest fan" and whose relationship with BU athletics goes back even further than Jack Parker's head coaching career.
No comments:
Post a Comment