CHENEY, Wash. — The all-time wins leader for Eastern Washington volleyball, Pam Parks, is adding another accolade to her trophy case. Parks has been voted into the Big Sky Conference's Hall of Fame after a decorated career as head coach and later as an athletics department administrator. She was inducted into Eastern's Hall of Fame in 2007, while three of the teams she coached (1989, 1998, 1999) have also been inducted.
The eight members of the 2026 Big Sky Hall of Fame class will be inducted on July 25 at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino. The event is part of the Big Sky Football kickoff weekend.
Parks served as the Eagles' head coach from 1976-79 and 1985-99, amassing 291 career wins.
Postseason success followed Parks as she won two Big Sky titles at Eastern, taking the regular season and tournament titles in 1989. EWU won the co-regular season championship for the 1997 season. The tournament title in '89 earned the Eagles their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Parks led the Eagles back to the national tournament in the '98 and '99 seasons, her final two years as head coach.
Parks was named AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year in 1989, adding Big Sky Coach of the Year as well. As the Eagles' all-time wins leader, Parks' teams hold three of the top five spots for most wins in a single season in the record books. EWU won 25 games in 1989, the second-most in program history.
While leading EWU, Parks coached three Big Sky Players of the Year, as Juli Argotow (1989) and Kim Exner (1998, 1999) earned the award. Parks also coached two Freshman of the Year - Kellie Glaus in 1992 and Andrea Pochman in 1993 - adding one Newcomer of the Year (Exner, 1995). She coached seven first-team All-Big Sky players, along with nine second-team and 10 honorable mentions. Under Parks' leadership, the Eagles maintained success in the classroom with 317 Big Sky All-Academic honors across 18 seasons.
Along with her tenure in Cheney, Parks coached at Montana State, leading her to 310 total career wins. At the time, she was one of four coaches in Big Sky history with 300-plus wins.
After her career as a head coach, Parks transitioned to the administrative side of the athletic department. Parks was named Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator following the '99 season. While coaching, Parks served as EWU's SWA from 1991 to 1999 on a part-time basis. During the 2005-06 academic year, Parks served as the interim athletic director. She retired from EWU Athletics in 2018.
Continuing her impact on the sport, Parks has served on the NCAA Volleyball Committee since 2022.
Parks is the fourth Eastern Washington inductee into the Big Sky Hall of Fame, joining her former player, Exner (volleyball), who was inducted into the conference hall of fame in 2023. Michael Roos (Football) was inducted with Exner in '23, and Erik Meyer (Football) was voted in as a part of the 2024 class.
2026 Big Sky Hall of Fame Class
Pam Parks, Eastern Washington (Volleyball Coach/Administrator)
Frank Hawkins, Nevada (Football Student-Athlete)
Erin Heins, Northern Arizona (Cross Country/Track and Field Coach)
Dennis Erickson, Idaho/Montana State (Coach/Student-Athlete)
Jackie Ross Maddox, Idaho (Track and Field Student-Athlete)
Amber Henry, Weber State (Cross Country/Track and Field Athlete)
Micheal Ray Richardson, Montana (Men's Basketball Student-Athlete)
Willie Sojourner, Weber State (Men's Basketball Student-Athlete)
About the Big Sky Hall of Fame
The Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame was established in 2020 to honor those persons who have made outstanding contributions to Big Sky athletics as a student-athlete, coach, and/or administrator. Its purpose is to perpetuate the memory of those persons who have brought distinction, honor, and excellence to both the Big Sky Conference and its institutional athletic programs.
The 2026 Hall of Fame class was selected by a committee of 14 members, which included representatives from all 10 full-time Big Sky institutions, as well as an additional Athletic Director, Senior Women's Administrator, a conference office representative, and an at-large committee member among the group of 14 voters.
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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