Dan Parker
Cross Country Coach

Dan Parker’s illustrious coaching career is a testament to his unwavering dedication, innovative strategies, and remarkable success in the world of high school cross country and track. Beginning as a volunteer at Snohomish High School in 1987, Dan quickly took the reins as head coach in 1988, inheriting a small team of fewer than 20 boys and five girls. Despite the modest beginnings, Dan had a clear vision for the program’s future, pushing for top-tier competition across the state and country.  

In the 1990s, Dan established the Great Pumpkin Race, a popular event that attracted up to 700 young competitors from first to sixth grade. To fund extensive travel for his teams, Dan spearheaded various fundraising activities involving athletes, coaches, and parents, from running concessions at Mariners games to parking cars at concerts, painting houses, and selling corn at the Bigfoot soccer tournament. Not only funding the teams travel but creating lasting memories. 

Under Dan’s leadership, Snohomish High School’s cross-country teams flourished from 1988 to 2008, securing 17 WESCO League Championships and 14 Northwest District Championships for the girls, alongside 11 WESCO and 9 District titles for the boys. His girls’ teams clinched four Washington State Championships in 1995, 1996, 2002, and 2003. Additionally, as the head girls’ track coach from 2000 to 2003, Dan led the team to state championships in 2001 and 2002 and a second-place finish in 2003.  

In 2009, Dan transitioned to Glacier Peak High School, where he continued his legacy of excellence. Over a decade, his teams amassed 10 WESCO League Championships and 11 Northwest District Championships for the girls, and three each for the boys. The Glacier Peak girls’ teams won five Washington State Championships in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018.  

Dan’s exceptional coaching earned him numerous accolades, including Washington State Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1996, 2010, 2013, and 2018, and US Northwest Region 8 Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2014. In 2022, Dan’s outstanding contributions were recognized with his induction into the Washington State Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame.  

Dan Parker’s career is a shining example of the impact a dedicated coach can have.  

GALLERY