Multnomah to Introduce Dalon Parker as New Men’s Soccer Coach

PORTLAND, Ore. – Dalon Parker, an award-winning coach at Durango (Colo.) High School, has been selected from a nation-wide pool of candidates to be the next men's soccer coach at Multnomah University, according to Multnomah director of athletics Lois Vos.
 
Parker, who will begin his new duties in early January, has served as coach of the boys' and girls' soccer programs at Durango High since 2013.  In that time, his teams won four consecutive SWL titles, made three quarterfinal and one Final Four state tournament appearances, and produced the highest grade point average in the state in 2016.  His girls' teams won one league title, made four 4A regional playoff appearances, one quarterfinals appearance, and had the state's highest GPA three years in a row (2014-16).  He was honored as SWL Boys' Coach of the Year four times and Girls' Coach of the Year once.
 
Parker coached Durango youth soccer clubs during that time as well, working with U10, U12, and U14 boys' programs, and U12, U14, and U19 girls programs.  He directed a winter training program for area youth, and served as the DYSA Board Vice President.
 
Prior to Durango, Parker coached the varsity program at The Highlands School in Irving, Texas, from 2010-12.  He was part of a program that won five straight district titles, made six straight playoff appearances, and three state championship appearances in a row. 
 
Also a talented basketball player, Parker owned and ran the North Texas Hoopstars youth basketball program from 2007-12.  After college, he played for the Texas Legends in the NBA Developmental League. 
 
Parker played both soccer and basketball at Dallas Christian College, serving as a team captain while earning Defensive Player of the Year and All-Regional honors in soccer while leading his team to an ACCA Final Four appearance.  In hoops, he was a two-time NCCAA All-American, Defensive Player of the Year, and Southwest Conference All-Regional honors.  He led DCC to the NCCAA national championship, and is the school record holder for points and rebounds in a game.  He is a 2010 graduate of Dallas Christian with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
 
Tim Bieri, Multnomah's women's basketball coach who knew Parker from his playing days at Fort Lewis College in Durango, alerted him to the opening at Multnomah and encouraged him to apply. 
 
"The first thing that attracted me to the Multnomah program is the school's size," says Parker.  "Nothing against big schools, but I enjoy a place where student and teacher really get to know one another and the student doesn't feel lost in the big scheme of things.  Second is that it is a Christian university; there is an emphasis on Christ as the heart of the 'Multnomah' way, investing in our lives in the spiritual growth of each student, and coming to work here is like being a part of a special family.  And third, I like building programs and want to help grow this soccer team from the foundation that has been laid."
 
Parker takes over for Tom Stephens, who inaugurated the men's soccer program at Multnomah in 2014 and guided it through four seasons before resigning at the end of the 2017 campaign.  Multnomah competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and is a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
 
"Dalon's proven track record of being able to take budding programs and bring them to fruition, as well as his makeup and character, makes him the ideal person to be our next men's soccer coach," said Vos.  "We look forward to watching him lead our program to new levels of achievement over the coming years."
 
Parker and his wife Sarah, who grew up as a child of missionaries in Venezuela, have one young son, Elijah, age 2½.  In his spare time, he calls himself "a music and movie guy."