athletic director
Biography
Bruce Parker begins his fourth year as Director of Athletics at Carroll College. While under his watch the Carroll Athletic Department has relished in the success of it's varied programs, which have included an unprecedented fourth straight NAIA National Football Championship, a NAIA National Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in Women's basketball, NAIA National Tournament Fab Four appearance as well as two Elite Eight appearances in Men's basketball. During his tenure as Athletic Director at Carroll, Parker has been honored as Region I Athletic Director of the Year the past two years. As well as receiving the Frontier Conference honor all three years. This past year, Parker was bestowed the honor of earning the NAIA National "Athletic Director of the Year" Award. This spring NAIA CEO and Interim President Jim Carr appointed Parker to the NAIA National Strategic Planning Council.
In his three years at Carroll, the Athletic department has dominated it's Frontier Conference foes, by winning four straight conference football championships, back-to-back men's basketball championships, two women's basketball conference championships, as well as two volleyball conference tournament championships , and two appearances at the Region I tournament by the women's soccer program.
During Parker's second year as Carroll's Director of Athletics, the Saints established Frontier Conference history in winning titles in the four major conference sports. It marked the first time in the league history that one school had won titles in football, volleyball, and men and women's basketball. The string of unequalled success would earn Carroll the 2004-05 Frontier Conference George Bandy Memorial All-Sports Trophy, its first such award since the 1996-97 academic year.
The many accomplishments spearheaded by Parker this past year included record attendance at home athletic events, hosting three NAIA National Football Playoff Games, a record-setting year with Corporate fund raising, a 40 percent increase in funds generated by the Saints' Athletic Association and a record-setting year at the SAA Auction. Parker has exceeded the college's expectations for fundraising by the athletic department and has taken strides towards initiating enhancements to athletic facilities on Carroll's campus, by providing Saint fans and the Carroll College P.E. Center with brand new seating throughout including over 300 premium stadium seats, as well as new seating at Nelson Stadium.
Parker formerly served as Associate Athletic Director at Montana State University in Bozeman during his 22 year tenure at the NCAA Institution. A 1979 graduate of Eastern Montana College (now MSU-Billings) with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and marketing, Parker is married to the former Lisa Fitchner, a teacher at Helena High, and they have two sons, Ryan and Brett.