Jack Parker (ice hockey)

Jack Parker (born March 11, 1945) is an American ice hockey coach, who previously served as the head coach of the Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey team. The 2012–13 hockey season was Parker's 40th and final season as head coach of the Terriers, and his 47th overall at the school as a player or coach.

Jack Parker
Biographical details
Born (1945-03-11) March 11, 1945 (age 79)
Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S.
Playing career
1965–1968Boston University
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1968–1969Medford HS (MA)
1969–1973Boston University (assistant)
1973–2013Boston University
Head coaching record
Overall897–472–115 (.643)
Tournaments30–25 (.545)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3x NCAA national champion (1978, 1995, 2009)
6x Hockey East tournament champion (1986, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2009)
8x Hockey East regular season champion (1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2009)
4x ECAC Hockey tournament champion (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977)
2x ECAC Hockey regular season champion (1976, 1978)
ECAC Hockey East Region Champion (1984)
Awards
3x Spencer Penrose Award (1975, 1978, 2009)
5x Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award (1986, 1992, 2000, 2005, 2006)
1994 Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame2014 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey Award
Beanpot Hall of Fame
Records
Most Wins One School: (897)
Most Losses One School: (472; D-I)
Most Ties One School: (115)
Most NCAA Tournament Appearances: (24)
Most Beanpot Victories: (21)
Most Frozen Four Appearances: (13)
Most consecutive Beanpot Victories: (6)
Most consecutive Hockey East Regular Season titles: (5)
Most consecutive ECAC tournament titles: (4-tied)

Playing career

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Parker graduated from Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury in 1964. He played for the Terriers from 1965 to 1968. The team was a combined 77–22–4 while Parker was a center for the team. Parker played on three Beanpot Championship teams and two teams which played in the NCAA tournament placing fourth in 1966 and second in 1967. Parker was captain of the team during his senior year on the team. Parker played against Boston College's former coach, Jerry York, while York was at BC and in high school.[1]

Coaching career

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Immediately after graduating, Parker was named head coach at Medford High School. After only one year, he returned to BU as an assistant under his former college coach, Jack Kelley, and helped lead the Terriers to two consecutive national championships in 1971 and 1972. After Kelley left the program to become general manager and head coach of the New England Whalers, Parker was promoted to B-team coach under his predecessor, Leon Abbott.

Abbott was abruptly fired on December 21, 1973 for withholding information about the eligibility of two Canadian players who had played junior hockey in their native country, even though a judge questioned the constitutionality of the rules allegedly violated. Parker was named his successor.[2]

Parker was asked by USA Hockey about coaching the Olympic team for the 1980 Olympics. He declined the position, which opened the door for Herb Brooks to serve as coach.[3]

On February 8, 1989, Parker was named Boston University's athletic director. He was going to step down as head coach at the end of the 1988–89 season, but on February 21, 1989, Parker announced he was relinquishing the AD's job to continue coaching.[4][5]

Parker was named the NCAA Coach of the Year three times, the first after the 1974–75 season, again after the 1977–78 season and a third time after 2008-09. Parker was also named the Hockey East Coach of the Year after the 1985–86, 1991–92, 1999–2000, 2004–05 and 2005-06 seasons. On January 30, 2009, Parker claimed his 800th win in a 3-1 victory over Merrimack College. He was only the third coach to win 800 games, and the first to do so with one team. On April 11, 2009, Parker won his 30th NCAA tournament game and third team national title.

Parker retired at the end of the 2012-13 season. He finished with a record of 897–472–115. At the time of his retirement, he was the third-winningest coach in NCAA history, behind only Ron Mason and Jerry York. His 897 wins are far and away the most in BU history, and are more than four times the total of runner-up Harry Cleverly. He has had a hand in more than two-thirds of BU's all-time wins. Apart from his one year as Medford High's coach, he spent the first 48 years of his adult life at BU as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

Retirement

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On March 11, 2013, Parker announced that the 2012–13 season would be his last, telling BU Today, "Forty years is a long time to be at the same institution in the same job. I think I’m a little long in the tooth. I don’t think I’ve had the focus I need to have. I haven’t lost a step, but I don’t want to lose a step."[6] In 2014, Coach Parker's jersey number 6 was retired by the Terriers in a ceremony during a game against the University of New Hampshire.

In 2017, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.[7]

Head coaching record

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College

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Boston University Terriers (ECAC Hockey) (1973–1984)
1973–74 Boston University 19–6–0† 11–5–0† 3rd NCAA consolation game (win)
1974–75 Boston University 26–5–1 20–2–0 2nd NCAA consolation game (win)
1975–76 Boston University 25–5–0 21–2–0 1st NCAA consolation game (loss)
1976–77 Boston University 20–11–1 16–7–1 4th NCAA consolation game (win)
1977–78 Boston University 30–2–0 21–1–0 1st NCAA national champion
1978–79 Boston University 21–7–2 17–4–2 1st ECAC third-place game (loss)
1979–80 Boston University 11–17–0 8–14–0 14th
1980–81 Boston University 14–15–0 10–12–0 12th
1981–82 Boston University 14–11–3 9–10–3 t-10th
1982–83 Boston University 18–11–1 14–7–0 6th ECAC quarterfinals
1983–84 Boston University 28–11–1 15–6–0 t-2nd NCAA quarterfinals
Boston University: 226–101–9 162–70–6
Boston University Terriers (Hockey East) (1984–2013)
1984–85 Boston University 24–14–4 19–11–4 2nd Hockey East consolation game (win)
1985–86 Boston University 25–14–4 20–11–3 2nd NCAA quarterfinals
1986–87 Boston University 19–15–3 15–14–3 4th Hockey East quarterfinals
1987–88 Boston University 14–17–3 11–12–3 4th Hockey East quarterfinals
1988–89 Boston University 14–21–1 10–15–1 5th Hockey East quarterfinals
1989–90 Boston University 25–17–2 12–7–2 3rd NCAA Frozen Four
1990–91 Boston University 28–11–2 13–6–2 3rd NCAA runner-up
1991–92 Boston University 23–8–4 11–6–4 2nd NCAA East regional quarterfinals
1992–93 Boston University 29–9–2 18–5–1 2nd NCAA Frozen Four
1993–94 Boston University 34–7–0 21–3–0 1st NCAA runner-up
1994–95 Boston University 31–6–3 16–5–3–2 t-1st NCAA national champion
1995–96 Boston University 30–7–3 17–5–2–1 1st NCAA Frozen Four
1996–97 Boston University 26–9–6 16–4–4 t-1st NCAA runner-up
1997–98 Boston University 28–8–2 18–4–2 1st NCAA East regional semifinals
1998–99 Boston University 14–20–3 8–13–3 5th Hockey East quarterfinals
1999–2000 Boston University 25–10–7 15–3–5 1st NCAA East regional semifinals
2000–01 Boston University 14–20–3 9–12–3 6th Hockey East quarterfinals
2001–02 Boston University 25–10–3 15–6–3 t-2nd NCAA East regional semifinals
2002–03 Boston University 25–14–3 13–10–1 5th NCAA Northeast regional final
2003–04 Boston University 12–17–9 6–13–5 8th Hockey East semifinals
2004–05 Boston University 23–14–4 15–5–4 t-2nd NCAA East regional semifinals
2005–06 Boston University 26–10–4 17–7–3 1st NCAA Northeast regional final
2006–07 Boston University 20–10–9 13–6–8 3rd NCAA Midwest regional semifinals
2007–08 Boston University 19–17–4 15–10–3 2nd Hockey East semifinals
2008–09 Boston University 35–6–4 18–5–4 1st NCAA national champion
2009–10 Boston University 18–17–3 13–12–2 t-3rd Hockey East semifinals
2010–11 Boston University 19–12–8 15–6–6 3rd Hockey East quarterfinals
2011–12 Boston University 23–15–1 17–8–1 t-2nd NCAA West regional semifinals
2012–13 Boston University 21–16–2 15–10–2 t-3rd Hockey East runner-up
Boston University: 671–371–106 423–235–85
Total: 897–472–115

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

†Parker took over as coach after Leon Abbott was fired mid-season. BU credits the first six games of the season to Abbott and the final 25 years to Parker.

Reference:[8]

  • 3-time NCAA men's champions (1978, 1995, 2009)
  • 4-time ECAC men's champions (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977)
  • 3-time ECAC men's regular season champions (1976, 1978, 1979)
  • 7-time Hockey East men's champions (1986, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2009)
  • 8-time Hockey East men's regular season champions (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2009)
  • 21-time Beanpot winners (1975, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)

Notable players

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A list of notable players whom Parker has coached:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Boudette, Neal E. (December 2, 2009). "Losing is H-E-Double Hockey Sticks For Boston's Icy Odd Couple". The Wall Street Journal. p. A1.
  2. ^ Kaminsky, Arthur. Ousted coach is defended in foreign player dispute. New York Times, 1973-12-30.
  3. ^ "Burnside: Brooks' importance goes beyond 'Miracle'". ESPN.com. 2006-11-08. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  4. ^ Concannon, Joe (February 9, 1989). "Parker takes over". The Boston Globe.
  5. ^ Harber, Paul (February 22, 1989). "Parker reshuffles: BU hockey coach relinquishes post as AD". The Boston Globe.
  6. ^ Barlow, Rich. BU Hockey Icon Jack Parker Retires. BU Today, 2013-02-12.
  7. ^ "Parker, Wilson lead U.S. Hockey HOF class". 19 June 2017.
  8. ^ "2013–14 Hockey East Media Guide". Hockey East. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
1974–75
1977–78
2008–09
Succeeded by
Preceded by Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award
1985–86
1991–92
1999–00
2004–05, 2005–06
Succeeded by
Preceded by Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award
2014
Succeeded by