Plymouth State University

GARY PARSONS ('73): A former standout Panther soccer player who was voted Most Valuable Defensive Player as a senior, Parsons has gone on to become one of the winningest coaches in NCAA Soccer history. Now in his 26th season as head men's soccer coach at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., Parsons became the fourth all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division II history, and has continued a successful program with a move to Division I 10 years ago.

Parsons led Oakland to a 332-115-52 record in his first 25 years for a .717 winning percentage, and he has never had a losing season. He led the team to 13 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in 16 years, including three years as the national runner-up (1986, 1994 and 1996), and he was a five-time Division II Regional Coach of the Year.

Parsons has led the team to a 89-46-17 record since moving to Division I, including NCAA Tournament berths in 2002 and 2003 and earning Conference Coach of the Year in 2005. A native of Oakham, Mass., Parsons was the coach of the victorious West team in the 1989 Soccer Senior Bowl in St. Louis. Parsons has coached numerous All-Americans and has had nine players invited to play in the prestigious Senior Bowl.