2025 marks Adam Parker’s 17th season as Head Coach of the Bears. As the winningest coach in program history, Parker’s teams have been the most successful in school history while rewriting the school record books.
The Bears have made 4 playoff appearances including a 10-8-1 overall record in 2015. The 10 wins was a program record, but even more impressively it was done against one of the toughest schedules in Division 3. Senior Center Back Alex Griffith picked up his second straight All Conference honor. Senior Ben Firlit and Sophomore Matthew Wagner also received All-Conference accolades. The season included wins over #8 nationally ranked St. Lawrence, regionally ranked Skidmore College and Buffalo State.
Parker has coached 13 All-Conference team members and 1 USCAA All-Region Team Member. The five winningest classes in school history have come during Parker’s time as program leader. 2022 Potsdam Bears Hall of Fame Inductee Eduardo Figueroa was a member of Parker’s first recruiting class. Figueroa finished as a 4-Time All-Conference Member and is the school career leader in goals and points. Figueroa was also named to the SUNYACs All-Decade Team in 2020.
Potsdam’s All-Time Assist Leader Tom Benedetto, along with 3 others to play under Parker rank as 4 of the top 5 in program history, while goalkeepers Nick Davies and Joe Glackin rank first and third respectively in program history for wins.
“I’m proud of the culture of our program. We want guys that on the field want to challenge themselves to become the best player they can be in their four years at Potsdam and play against some of the top teams in the country at our level and get an outstanding education at in our close-knit community.”
Parker’s teams have thrived in the classroom. The Spring 2024 semester team cumulative GPA was a 3.44 with 5 of the 6 graduates finishing with Summa Cum Laude honors. Parker has coached over 80 SUNYAC All-Academic team members and in the last 2 years 3 alumni Jeff Schulz (2020), Wilber Parada (2020) and Eduardo Sanchez (2021) have earned Doctoral Degrees.
“For me, the most rewarding part of leading the program is to be able to support and help facilitate guys who come from different backgrounds, arrive on campus as kids and see them grow as players, students and most importantly people,” says Parker. “One of my favorite days of the year is catching up with guys at our annual alumni game and listening to all the great success stories in their lives,” says Parker.
Parker joined SUNY Potsdam’s staff in 2010 after spending three seasons at North Country Community College, where he guided the Saints to a 31-17-2 overall record.
In 2009, Parker led the Saints to their second Region III Tournament Final in program history and No. 6 final ranking in the National Junior College Athletic Association national poll with a 15-3-1 record. The Saints also won their first-ever Mountain Valley Conference Championship with a 7-0-1 record. Parker was recognized as the Mountain Valley Conference’s Coach of the Year as well as the NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
In Parker’s three seasons at North Country, he coached three National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Americans, eight NJCAA All-Region Players, a NJCAA Region III Player of the Year and three NJCAA National Players of the Week. He helped promote five players to NCAA Division I and II universities as well as six others to NCAA Division III schools.
Prior to North Country, Parker was the Assistant Academy Director for the Palm Beach Pumas in West Palm Beach, Fla. Parker directed the Youth Outreach Program and was Assistant Coach for the College Prep Program. In his two years as an assistant, Parker and head coach Bobby Lennon promoted 14 players to N.C. State, Liberty University, American University as well as several other NCAA Division I, Division II and NAIA schools.
Prior to coaching in Palm Beach, Parker was the men’s assistant coach at SUNY Fredonia from 2002-2004. While at Fredonia, he and head coach P.J. Gondek developed nine All-SUNYAC and four NSCAA-All Region players. Parker also helped guide Fredonia to the 2003 SUNYAC Tournament final.
As a player, Parker is a New York State product, having won three sectional titles at Pittsford-Mendon High School in Rochester, N.Y. He went on to play for four years at SUNY Fredonia. At Fredonia, Parker played on four SUNYAC regular season championship teams. In 2000, he was named First Team All-SUNYAC and First Team NSCAA All-East Region.
Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, Parker moved on to play for the Palm Beach Pumas in the United Soccer Leagues-League 2. From 2003-2006, Parker led the team as captain.
Parker is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia, where he graduated with a bachelor’s in economics in 2001 and received his master’s in interdisciplinary studies in 2007. In 2014 Parker received his NSCAA Advanced National Diploma. Parker also holds an USSF “C” National Coaching License. Parker has served on the NSCAA Regional Rankings Committee as well as the NCAA Tournament Regional Advisory Committee.
Parker resides in Saranac Lake, N.Y., with his wife Kristin, daughters Eloise and Annika and their two dogs George and Daisy. In their free time they enjoy traveling, boating, fishing, and camping.
