(Editor’s note: RMC Athletics release)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former Rocky Mountain College athletic director Bruce Parker was inducted Saturday into the NAIA Hall of Fame over the weekend at the NAIA National Convention in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Parker served as athletic director for Rocky Mountain College from July 2014 to February 2018 and has worked in collegiate athletics across Montana for nearly 40 years.
“I owe a lot to Brad Nason and Dr. Wilmouth, who allowed me the opportunity to come to Rocky Mountain College,” said Parker. “I am grateful that the student athletes didn’t just get a degree. They got an education.”
Named Frontier Conference Athletic Director of the Year for a record ninth time last summer, Parker currently works with Rocky as a consultant.
“Rocky Mountain College has directly benefited from Bruce Parker’s passion for athletics as well as his service and leadership within the NAIA,” said Nason, Vice President and Dean of Student Life at Rocky Mountain College. “Induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to a colleague who has given so much to the organization and to athletics around the state of Montana.”
Parker was the driving force behind the renovation of the historic Herb Klindt Field in 2016. He helped organize and establish the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division 1 Women’s Basketball Tournament in Billings from 2017-2020. He considers these some of his finest accomplishments due to the impact that they had on Rocky Mountain College and the greater Billings community.
He also notably worked on the corporate sponsorship program and developed the athletic staff, hiring coaches Jason Petrino (football) and Mike McLean (cross country and track & field).
“I have been fortunate at every spot I made to have worked with great coaches, great student athletes, and great administrations,” said Parker. ” I will never forget the friendships I made with the coaches.”
Parker is a member and former president of the NAIA Athletics Director’s Association (ADA) Board of Directors. He served on the NAIA’s National Administrative Council and was named to the NAIA National Strategic Planning Council and the NAIA National Marketing Committee.
Additionally, Parker served as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors (NACDA) National Executive Committee for five years. He was honored three times as the NACDA/Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year.
Prior to Rocky Mountain College, Parker served as director of athletics at Carroll College in Helena. Under his leadership, the Saints added eight athletic programs, hosted several NAIA National Football playoff games, and set records in attendance to athletic events and corporate fundraising. He presided over an unprecedented national championship streak at Carroll from 2002 through 2005 with additional national championships in 2007 and 2010.
A 1979 graduate of Eastern Montana College, Parker served as associate athletic director and sports information director at Montana State University for 22 years.
He lives with his wife, Lisa, who he credits as being an unofficial athletic director at his side. His family includes sons Brett and Ryan, and granddaughter Sophia.
