Eastern Washington University Athletics

In the 1990's, no athletic program at Eastern Washington University had more success and growth than the volleyball team under the direction of legendary head coach Pamela Parks. She had a 291-256 record in 18 seasons as head coach of the Eagles from 1976-78 and 1985-99. Including a short stint at Montana State, her 310 career wins made her one of only four coaches in Big Sky Conference history with more than 300 wins. In 22 years as a collegiate and high school head coach, Parks won 375 matches and in 1989 was selected as Big Sky Coach of the Year and AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year. In addition, she was honored by U.S.A. Volleyball for nearly 20 years of coaching Junior Olympic Volleyball teams. The path to coaching greatness began for Parks as a setter for Eastern's volleyball team in the early 1970's. After graduating from Eastern in 1974, she served as an assistant for two years before becoming head coach at Eastern for three seasons. She left to coach Sandpoint to an Idaho State Championship in 1980, then eventually returned to Cheney in 1985 after spending the 1984 season as head coach at Montana State. In her tenure, Eastern had six 20 victory seasons, won two Big Sky Conference titles (1989 regular season and tournament championships and the 1997 regular season co-championship) and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments. Parks obviously saved the best for last. In her final three seasons, her Eagle teams won 70 matches and lost just 20 for a winning rate of nearly 80 percent. Her final two seasons ended with NCAA Tournament appearances. And in each year -- starting a streak that exists entering the 2007 season -- Eastern has ranked in the top 25 nationally in attendance while averaging more than 1,000 fans per match. Parks stepped down as head coach following the 1999 season when she was elevated to the position of associate athletic director-senior woman administrator. She served as Eastern's senior woman administrator from 1991-99 on a part-time basis. In the 2005-06 school year she served as interim athletic director. Since 2002, she has been a member of the prestigious NCAA Volleyball Committee. At the collegiate and junior volleyball levels, and as director of the State B High School Volleyball Championships at EWU, Parks never passed up an opportunity to promote and advance the sport. She and Irene Matlock were local pioneers who helped start, administer and coach numerous junior clubs and teams in the Evergreen Region of U.S.A. Volleyball. When she stepped down as Eastern's coach, the Evergreen Region of USA Volleyball issued this statement: "Pam has impacted numerous young women and men, not only improving their skills as volleyball players but also as young adults. She helped them learn immeasurable lessons in life including hard work, dedication, perseverance, leadership, achievement in a team concept and dealing with success and failure. Often, her willingness to see a young player succeed meant embracing the thought that the player may attend a college besides EWU. She encouraged player development in a manner that forced them to use their own minds and to strive to reach the highest potential, and not be complacent or accept less. There can be no greater honor to a coach, administrator and teacher than to see the number of lives affected in such a positive manner."