By Aaron Coe
Herald Writer
Citing family concerns, Troy Parker has resigned as coach of the Meadowdale boys basketball team.
“I need to be a better dad and a better husband,” said Parker, who was 55-55 in five seasons at Meadowdale. “The nature of being a high school basketball coach is that it requires an increasing time commitment. One of the great blessings in my life has been coaching basketball, but it’s become a year-round commitment.”
Parker said he will use his new-found free time with his wife and two daughters, who are 4 and 7 years old.
Parker leaves behind a program that appears to be in good shape. The 2001-02 Mavericks, made up mostly of juniors and sophomores, qualified for the 3A District 1 tournament, where they were 2-2 and were two victories shy of qualifying for the Class 3A state tournament.
Meadowdale finished the season 14-10 and managed an 11-7 division record despite being one of only two 3A schools in the mostly 4A Western Conference South Division.
The Mavericks will return most of that team, and had the division’s top junior varsity team last season.
“I feel like I’m leaving the program in good shape,” said Parker, 40, who is a history teacher at Meadowdale.
Terri McMahan, the Edmonds District athletic director, said she is sad to see Parker go.
“He’s absolutely the type of guy you want coaching,” McMahan said. “I’m bummed out. I’m happy that he’s moving ahead, but I’m sad because he offered a lot to that program.”
Parker is the third basketball coach in the 19-team Wesco to step down this year. Cascade’s Jerry Koester and Jackson’s Eddie Mascari both resigned in March.
“I think it’s getting to the point where you can write these stories and just change the names of the coaches,” said Parker, who was an assistant at Bellingham prior to becoming the Meadowdale head coach. “(Coaching) takes a major time commitment.
“I’m truly going to miss the kids. My assistant coaches are as good as any and the kids bought into what we do. We had good support from the administration and the parents were great. Whoever takes the job is going to be glad, because those are quality kids.”
McMahan said the opening will be posted within the district for approximately a week and may or may not be opened up to outside applicants.
“We’ll see who we get,” McMahan said. “I feel we will have some quality candidates from within the district.”
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