Kathleen Parker will not return as Syracuse’s field hockey coach after holding the position for 29 seasons, the SU athletic department confirmed Wednesday afternoon in statements released exclusively to The Daily Orange via e-mail.

In introducing the statements, a Syracuse spokesperson wrote that SU Director of Athletics Daryl Gross decided ‘not to retain’ Parker as head coach. Neither Gross, Parker nor the team elaborated in their own respective statements, though Parker said the news came as a surprise.

‘For the past 29 years I have had the best job in the world,’ Parker said in her statement. ‘Although I did not anticipate, nor is it my choice, that my tenure would end this way, I am grateful for the experiences and opportunities that have been provided to me by Syracuse University.’

The news comes five days after Parker was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2006.

The statements from Gross and the team thanked Parker for her service to Syracuse. Gross’ statement did not offer any further explanation or a timetable for the future of the program.

Syracuse ended its 2006 season on Sunday with a 3-2 overtime win over Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. The Orange finished the season with a 10-9 record overall, 2-4 in the Big East.

It is not known when after Sunday’s game Gross told Parker, who has been at SU longer than any coach besides men’s basketball’s Jim Boeheim and swimming and diving’s Lou Walker, that she would not be retained. The D.O. went to the athletic department following an anonymous tip.

The statements did not mention the future of Parker’s assistants, Mary McCracken and Amy Agulay. McCracken has served as an assistant and associate head coach at SU since 1993 while Agulay joined as an assistant in 2004.

The coaching staff is listed in two places on the department Web site. Only Agulay is listed in one of them.

‘I am not completely sure what my status is at this time,’ McCracken said. ‘I don’t feel comfortable staying in this situation.’

Parker, who has coached 17 All-Americans since 1991, compiled 20 winning seasons to finish her tenure at Syracuse with a 316-214-14 record. She was named Big East Coach of the Year three straight years from 1993-95. She was selected as the Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 1991.

SU won the Big East tournament and played in the NCAA Tournament in 1993, 1995 and 2001.

The new field hockey coach will be the sixth new head coach under Gross. Since taking over in December 2004, Gross has hired football’s Greg Robinson, cross country/track’s Chris Fox, softball’s Leigh Ross, tennis’ Luke Jensen and women’s basketball’s Quentin Hillsman.

Published on November 1, 2006 at 12:00 pm