Coaching Success

  • In 2018 the National High School Athletic Coaches Association selected Mike as the National Coach of the Year for Girls Track & Field
  • Head Coach of Girls Cross Country at Iowa City West High School for the past 20 years. Has led the Iowa City West Girls Cross Country team to 5 Class 4A State Championship Team Titles winning in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2004.
  • Head Coach of Girls Track & Field at Iowa City West High School for the past 18 years. Has led the Iowa City West Girls Track & Field team to 6 Class 4A State Championship Team Titles winning in 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2010.
  • Has been selected the State Coach of the Year or the At-Large Coach of the Year for Cross Country and Track & Field 32 times in his 21 years at Iowa City West.
  • In 2004 he became the first coach in Class 4A state history to be voted both the Girls Track & Field State Coach of the Year and the Girls Cross Country State Coach of the Year both in the same calendar year.
  • In 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2018 he was the state of Iowa nominee for the the National High School Coach of the Year award.
  • Has been selected as the Mississippi Valley Conference Coach of the Year 27 times in his 24 years at Iowa City West.
  • The 2001 Girls Cross Country team finished the season as the 5th ranked team in the United States.
  • His 2007 Iowa City West Girls Track & Field State Championship team won the State Title with 97.5 points, which was the most points scored in the history of the Girls Track & Field State Championships at that time.
  • His 2001 Girls Cross Country State Championship team won the State Title with 28 points, the lowest score in state meet history.
  • His West High Girls Cross Country teams have held every State Meet record that is kept by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, lowest score, largest margin of victory, and course record.
  • His 2001 Girls Cross Country team is the only team in State Meet History to place 5 girls in the top 10 at the State Championships.
  • Has coached 6 Iowa High School Cross Country Individual State Champions: Jeni Frudden-2000, Jeni Frudden-2001 (Set State Record), Robdu Adam-2002 (Set State Record), Sarah Wickman-2003 (Set Class 4A State Record) and first freshman to win the State Title in 12 years, Sarah Wickman-2005 and Bailey Nock-2016.
  • His West High Girls won the 4 x 800 Relay State Title 5 straight years winning in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002. The 2000 team set the All-Time State Meet Record and recorded the 8th fastest time in the United States. The 2001 team ran 9:09.09 the 6th fastest time in the United States and an All-Time Iowa best.
  • ​In 2002 West High became the first school in Class 3A State Meet history to ever win the same event five straight years. His West High Girls 2001 Distance Medley Relay (1600-1200-800-400) ran 12:01.02 the 6th fasted time in the United States.
  • In his 24 years at Iowa City West he has coached 112 track & field state champions, 6 cross country individual state champions, 27 Drake Relays champions, 9 All-Americans and has sent 31 athletes on to compete at the Division 1 collegiate level in cross country and track & field.
  • His athletes have broken 18 of the Iowa City West School records, set 9 All-Time State Records, 8 Class 4A State Championship Meet Records and 5 Drake Relays Records.
  • In 2010 his Iowa City West Girls Track & Field team won the class 4A state title by 24 points, the largest margin of victory in 4A Iowa girls track & field State Championship history.
  • Mike ran track & field for the University of Kansas under the legendary coach Bob Timmons.

Mike has been recognized by his peers at the highest level, having been selected as the State Coach of the Year or the At-Large Coach of the Year 32 times.

In 2018 Coach Parker was named the Mississippi Valley Conference Coach of the Year for Girls Track & Field and Girls Cross Country. He has now been named the MVC Coach of the Year 27 times!

​He has been nominated for the NFHS National Coach of the Year 6 times!

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