DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI THIS IS COLORADO STATE COACHES & STAFF COACHES SEASON OUTLOOK & ROSTER SEASON OUTLOOK Greg Myers (left), 1995 Jim Thorpe Award winner and 2012 College Football PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES PLAYER Hall of Fame inductee, is pictured with former CSU punter Hayden Hunt (cen- ter), a 2015 finalist for the Ray Guy Award, and eight-year NFL vet Joel Drees- sen (right) at the 2016 National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter banquet. John Howell, Super Bowl Champion, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Colton Iverson, NBA player, Boston Celtics Raymond Jackson, player development, Denver Broncos 2014 SEASON REVIEW Greg Jamison, former president & CEO, San Jose Sharks Floyd Kerr, director of athletics, Morgan State University Becky Hammon First Female NBA Asst. Coach Mark Knudson, former Major League Baseball pitcher Martin Laird, PGA Tour Casey Malone, 2004 Olympian, sixth place in discus Felix “Tippy” Martinez, former Kansas City Royals player RECORD BOOK Thurman “Fum” McGraw, Pro Football Hall of Famer Keli McGregor, former president, Colorado Rockies Mike Montgomery, former college & NBA head coach (Golden State Warriors; Cal, Stanford, Montana) Greg Myers, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, 2012 Joey Porter Former All-Pro Linebacker Milt Palacio, former NBA and international player Jason Smith, NBA player, Washington Wizards HISTORY Erik Phillips, former athletic trainer, Phoenix Suns Joey Porter, Assistant coach, Pittsburgh Steelers; Retired NFL player, former All-Pro and Super Bowl champ Amy Van Dyken, six-time Olympic gold medalist MISCELLANEOUS Bradlee Van Pelt, winningest QB in CSU history, former NFL player Jason Smith NBA Player @CSUFOOTBALL 23 DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JOE PARKER JOE PARKER Director of Athletics | 3rd Year at CSU | Michigan, ’87 PARKER AT A GLANCE Education • Bachelor’s degree in economics from Michigan • MBA from Texas Personal • Wife: Jen; Children: Emma and Will • Hometown: Battle Creek, Mich. • Three-time All-America swimmer at Michigan • Deputy A.D. at Texas Tech 2011-15 • Senior Associate A.D. at Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington State and Texas Joe Parker in his third year as Director of Athletics at Colorado State University. A proven athletics administrator with experience at some of the nation’s finest collegiate programs, Parker was hired on March 17, 2015 by CSU President Dr. Tony Frank. Parker, who had been the deputy athletics director at Texas Tech of the Big 12 Conference since April 2011, also has served as senior associate A.D. at the University of Michigan (Big 10), the University of Oklahoma (Big 12), Washington State University (Pac- 12) and the University of Texas (Big 12). In Parker’s first two-plus years in Fort Collins he has skillfully and thoughtfully guided the athletics department and the university through the construction of Colorado State’s 41,000-capacity multipurpose stadium, which opens on-time and on-budget for the 2017 football season. The state-of-the-art facility will house all aspects of the Rams’ football program and includes general class- room space, the Collaborative for Student Achievement and the Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center. Parker has led the department of athletics through the successful process of selling out all premium seating inventory in the stadium. Comprised of private suites, loge boxes, indoor club and outdoor club seating, the entire premium seating inventory sold out in October 2016, nearly a year before the stadium’s opening. Season ticket sales continue to pace at record levels, and memberships are sold out to the stadium’s two VIP areas—the New Belgium Porch and Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies Field Club. In addition to the memberships selling out, both partnerships by prominent Fort Collins companies illustrate the tremendous connection between the university and the community, and demonstrate great enthusiasm for partnering with Colorado State and investing in its future. In just his first two years in Fort Collins, Parker has overseen tremendous success by the Rams’ athletics programs in compe- tition, and continued growth of Colorado State Athletics. The Rams had the Mountain West’s highest average finish in 2016-17 (3.94) across its 16 sport programs, claiming three conference championships and six second-place finishes. The Rams were rep- resented in 10 NCAA postseason competitions, and including the two basketball programs competing in their respective National Invitation Tournaments and football’s bowl game, 13 of the 16 CSU athletic programs wrapped up their year in postseason events. CSU’s volleyball and women’s basketball programs both went undefeated in their 18 Mountain West contests during the 2015-16 academic year, making CSU just the fourth school in NCAA history to have dual undefeated conference seasons, and the first time in school history. The CSU football team has qualified for its third and fourth consecutive bowl games and the Rams have claimed eight total MW championships since Parker’s hire. In Parker’s tenure he also has signed an extension of Colorado State’s multi-year agreement with Under Armour to be its official apparel provider through 2021, as well an enhanced, long-term multimedia rights partnership with Learfield, both of which position Colorado State for continued growth in its profile and stature nationally. During Parker’s time as deputy A.D. at Texas Tech he oversaw a Big 12 Conference program with 17 teams and an annual bud- get of $68.5 million. Under Parker’s leadership in building excitement and engagement among Red Raider fans, the university achieved first-ever sellouts for football season tickets and broke attendance records in football, men’s basketball and baseball. In addition, Parker has been involved in all Title IX and Gender Equity issues at Texas Tech. During his tenure as deputy A.D., Parker also led programs to boost the classroom success of student-athletes and led the development and launch of a current $185 million fundraising campaign. At Michigan, highlights of Parker’s eight-year tenure (2003-11) included serving on a four-person team that was responsible for more than $400 million in infrastructure improvements, including the renovation and creation of new revenue opportunities at Michigan Stadium, known as “The Big House.” Parker helped secure $14 million in annual gift revenue and more than $31 million in major gifts to support the stadium renovation project, lauded as one of the premier renovation projects in the country. Parker joined his alma mater in 2003 as associate athletics director for development and was promoted in 2006 to senior associate athletics director for development and corporate relations. At the University of Texas (1994-98), Washington State (1998-99) and the University of Oklahoma (2000-03), Parker led successful efforts in annual giving, season-ticket sales and premium seating programs, and also was involved in facilities development and renovation projects. While with the Sooners, Parker provided leadership support for a $120 million capital campaign for athletic facility improve- ments. Additionally, he designed and implemented a new pre- mium seating program, which funded 70-percent of the $75 million football stadium renovation. Parker was a three-time All-America swimmer at Michigan, and also became team captain. He earned a gold and bronze medal as a senior in the 1987 World University Games in Za- greb, Yugoslavia. Parker earned his bachelor’s degree in eco- nomics from Michigan, and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas. He and his wife, Jen, have two children, Emma and Will, both of whom are students at Colorado State. Joe Parker was introduced as the director of athletics at Colorado State on March 17, 2015. 24 2017 COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JOE PARKER WHAT THEY HAVE SAID ABOUT JOE PARKER... THIS IS COLORADO STATE Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech Athletics Director “I am very excited for Joe, Jennie, Will and Emma on their new opportunity at Colorado State University. Joe is one of the most talented and thoughtful administrators in the nation, and I could not be more appreciative of his friendship, hard work, and dedication to Texas Tech athletics over the past four years. His day-to-day leadership has been an in- strumental part of our progress and Texas Tech athletics is better today because of the important role he has played within our department. President Frank and Colorado State have made a tremendous hire and one that will provide strong leadership for their athletics department. I know the CSU coaches, athletics department staff and community will enjoy getting to know Joe Parker and his wonderful family.” & STAFF COACHES Kliff Kingsbury, Head Football Coach, Texas Tech “Joe Parker is one of the most impressive individuals I have ever had the privilege of working with. His passion for the well-being of the student-athlete is unparalleled. Colorado State has hired an incredible athletics director and an even better man. He will be sincerely missed here at Texas Tech, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.” Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech Retired Women’s Basketball Coach & 1993 National Champion in WBB “All of us at Texas Tech will hate to lose Joe Parker, but we couldn’t be more excited for him and this new opportu- & ROSTER SEASON OUTLOOK nity. Joe is a man of solutions. He is thoughtful, fair and a good listener and that approach allows him to discover solutions. Joe will do a great job as the athletics director at Colorado State.” Jeff Long, Vice Chancellor & Director of Athletics, University of Arkansas “Joe Parker is an outstanding athletics administrator. He possesses the experience, intelligence and concern for the student-athlete that are vital to successfully lead an FBS intercollegiate program today. Having worked at some of the finest academic and athletic institutions, Joe is exceedingly prepared to lead Colorado State University.” Joe Castiglione, Vice President & Director of Athletics, University of Oklahoma “I’ve had the great fortune to have first-hand experience working with Joe Parker as part of our athletic program here BIOGRAPHIES PLAYER at Oklahoma and closely following his continued growth in our industry.