In 2010, Jeff Parker will be on the sidelines as head coach of the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s soccer program for the eleventh-straight year. During that time, Parker has managed to turn a middle-of-the-road program into a national contender. In fact, Parker’s tenure at Stevens has included seven Skyline Conference titles (one for each season that the Ducks were in the league), five NCAA Tournament appearances, and three Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament invites that resulted in a pair of ECAC Metro Championships in 2007 and 2008.
In the eight years prior to his arrival at Stevens, the Ducks managed a total of 33 wins. Over the course of Parker’s first ten seasons with the team though, Stevens has registered a 139-55-13 overall record and a 59-8-1 conference ledger. He owns a 0.703 career winning percentage at Stevens entering 2010.
Parker holds certifications from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and the United States Soccer Federation. He has completed courses from the United European Football Association, the Czech Football Association, and the Football Association of Ireland. He was named the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year in both 2000 and 2001. Parker has also served on the New Jersey NSCAA Staff and recently concluded his four-year term of service on the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Committee, the last two as the National Chair.
The San Antonio, Texas native has blended those experiences, as well as five years coaching at the NCAA Division I level at Georgetown University and Saint Peter’s College and a three-year stint of living and playing in England, into a unique blend of philosophies, tactics, and style.
"It's a player’s game," Parker said. "I try to help them to work together, be unselfish, play sound defensively, and to play as a unit. Life is complicated enough, soccer doesn't have to be."
Laura Williamson, John Sasieta, goalkeeper coach Gretchen Lear, and volunteer assistant coaches Valerie Barnhart and Margaret Kostro and graduate assistant coach Salme Cook round out Parker’s coaching staff in 2010.
"The quality of our staff gives us an advantage over almost every school we compete against," Parker said. "The coaches are a major resource, both on and off the field, and they are just part of the opportunities that our program is able to present to our student-athletes."
In 2001, the Ducks had the nation’s top turnaround as they finished the regular season at 16-1-1 after posting a 7-10-1 mark in 2000.
Stevens recorded another solid campaign in 2002 by finishing 13-7-1 and reaching the second round of the NCAA Championship. In the process, the Ducks became the first team in school history to receive a national at-large bid, play host to the contest, and also win an NCAA tournament match.
The 2003 squad faced five nationally-ranked teams (four of which were ranked in the Top-10), won the Skyline regular-season and postseason tournament titles, and reached the NCAA regional semifinals during a 14-7-1 campaign.
In 2004, the Ducks had a bar-raising season as they went 18-2-2, captured their fifth-straight Skyline crown, garnered the program’s first-ever national ranking, and advanced in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. Along the way, Stevens set or tied 30 school records, which included seven new listings in the NCAA Division III record book.
In fall of 2005, Stevens reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Championship. In the process, the Ducks ran their conference winning streak to 40 matches, completed a perfect home record at 13-0, earned what was then their highest national ranking (No. 16), and finished the campaign with a new school record for wins at 20-3.
During 2006, Stevens rebounded from a 1-2-2 start to go 15-3-3 on the year. Along the way, the Ducks captured their seventh Skyline title in a row, extended their consecutive conference victory streak to 49 matches, and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight season.
In 2007, Stevens finished in second place in its first season in the Empire 8 Athletic Conference. The Ducks went on to post a 15-4-2 overall record and captured their first-ever ECAC Metro Championship. Stevens began the year ranked No. 15 in the country in the NSCAA poll, tying the high-water mark in program history. In addition, the Ducks suffered their first conference loss since 2000, ending the third-longest conference winning streak in NCAA Division III history at 50 matches.
In 2008, Stevens finished with a 15-5-2 overall record with a 5-3 mark in conference play en route to their second straight ECAC Metro Championship. Stevens defeated Drew University, 2-1 in the opening round, before downing Kean University, 4-2 in the semifinals, and New York University, 1-0 in the finals. Parker helped develop seven all-Empire 8 performers in 2008, including All-Empire 8 first-teamer and Defensive Player of the Year Salme Cook.
Last season, the Ducks rebounded from a rough start, winning six of their final nine matches – including their final three conference matchups – en route to a 5-3 Empire 8 mark. Parker helped develop six all-conference honorees, including three all-league picks a year ago as Stevens qualified for its ninth-straight postseason.
Since 2001, Stevens has made the De Baun Athletic Complex one of the nation’s toughest venues in the country, going 80-11-10 (0.842) and outscoring its opponents 293-58 at home over that span. Stevens’ 44 game home unbeaten streak – a mark that dates back to 2004 – ended with a 2-0 loss to league rival Ithaca on September 27, 2008.
Parker currently resides in Nutley, N.J., with his wife, Leena.
