Eastern Michigan Athletics
Bob Parks Named to the 2015 MAC Hall of Fame Induction Class
3/12/2015 10:47:00 PM | Men's XC, Men's Track & Field
The former EMU Head Coach is one-of-five in the class
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Mid-American Conference announced Friday, March 13, that former Eastern Michigan University men's cross country and track and field head coach Bob Parks was named to the 2015 MAC Hall of Fame Induction Class along with four others. The new members will be inducted in the MAC Hall of Fame on Wednesday, May 27, during the MAC Honor's Dinner at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel.
The four other inductees include Casey Cunningham (Central Michigan, wrestling), Ben Roethlisberger (Miami, football), Gary Pinkel (Toledo/Kent State, football) and George Dales (Western Michigan, men's cross country, men's track and field).
"It is only appropriate for our Conference to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of our former student-athletes, coaches and administrators, specifically these five individuals, and their achievements during their time competing in the Mid-American Conference," said Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, MAC Commissioner. "We are honored to welcome them to the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame."
"The Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame is a testament to the achievements of those that have competed and served in this great Conference," added Steinbrecher.
Parks was a collegiate runner at Eastern Michigan from 1951-55 and was the school's Head Men's Track and Field and Cross Country Coach for 34 years (1967-2001) and retired having established a tradition of success within the Eagles cross country and track and field programs. Parks was a three-time letterwinner in track at Eastern Michigan (then Michigan Normal College), who won the 1951 IIAC 880 yard run and was a member of the mile relay team that held the school record for 14 years.
Under his guidance, his Eagles teams won a total of 31 MAC titles and he was named MAC Coach of the Year 22 times. His teams won six NAIA and NCAA team titles, and he was named NCAA National Coach of the Year once and regional Coach of the Year nine times. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Parks grew up in Howell, Mich. and played high school football, basketball, baseball and track and was the Michigan High School Class B State Champion in the 440-yard dash. He coached nine years of high school in Michigan before becoming assistant coach at Western Michigan in 1961. In 1967, he accepted the position of head men's track and field and cross country coach at Eastern Michigan.
Throughout his career, Parks coached eight athletes who competed in 13 Olympic Games. In fact, he coached an athlete in every Olympic Games from 1960 to 2004. These athletes include suche track and field greats as Hasely Crawford, winner of the 1976 Olympic Gold Medal in the 100m; Earl Jones, winner of the 1984 Olympic Bronze Medal in the 800m; and Clement Chukwu, winner of the Silver Medal as part of a 4x400m relay team in the 2000 Games.
Parks coached 286 MAC and CCC conference champions and 31 NAIA and NCAA national champions, and his dual meet record stands at 162-14-1. He coached more than 110 All-Americans; many when only three were honored per event.
Parks is honored in the Eastern Michigan University Athletics and Drake Relays Halls of Fame, and Eastern Michigan's indoor and outdoor tracks are named in his honor. He was named to the USTFCCA Hall of Fame in 2000.
During his career, the Eastern Michigan cross country program compiled a dual meet record of 132-24-1 for a .843 winning percentage. His program was 75-16 (.824) in MAC action and won nine MAC titles.
Eastern Michigan student-athletes competed just as well on a national level. In his first five years, Parks led Eastern Michigan to the NAIA and /or NCAA Division II Championship meet every year and won the 1967 and 1970 NAIA National Championship and the 1970 NCAA Division II National title.
After joining the MAC and moving up to the NCAA Division I status in 1972, they won two district championships (1973, 1974) and qualified for the NCAA Championship meet seven times with the best finish coming in 1974 with a sixth place finish. Parks' teams qualified for a national championship meet (NAIA, NCAA I, II) nine times in his first 10 years. Eastern Michigan also won seven Central Collegiate Conference crowns and nine Michigan Intercollegiate Championships. Parks was named MAC Coach of the Year seven times, was five-time CCC Coach of the Year and twice honored as NCAA District Coach of the Year (1973 and 1974).
Parks completed his education degree in 1955. He is now retired and he and his wife Pat reside in White Lake, Mich. and Naples, Fla. The couple have two daughters, Sue and Sarah, and a son, Scott. His daughter Sue Parks is the current Eastern Michigan Women's Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach). The track inside Eastern Michigan's Bowen Field House is also named in his honor.
The MAC Hall of Fame was approved by the MAC Council of Presidents in 1987. The charter class was inducted in 1988 and subsequent classes were added in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994. After six induction classes, the MAC Hall of Fame maintained 52 members until it was reinstated in May of 2012. This year's class brings the number of MAC Hall of Fame inductees to 77 individuals from 10 classes.
Tickets are available for the MAC Honor's Dinner on Wednesday, May 27, at 6 p.m. ET at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. Individual tickets ($100 each) and a table of 10 ($950) are available for purchase. Contact Julie Kachner at the Mid-American Conference office at 216.566.4622.
Wednesday, June 17
Tuesday, April 21
Monday, December 01
Monday, December 01