Virginia Peninsula Community College named Mariah Parker its new women’s basketball coach.

It’s her first time heading a college program, and she’s excited about the quality of play in the area, which she thinks will make the Gators competitive from the start.

“I’ve seen Virginia basketball in my AAU coaching … There’s so much talent in this area,” she said.

Providing an opportunity for women to play beyond high school in their backyard also attracted Parker.

“I had to do it,” she said. “I think there is so much interest.”

That was evident at an on-campus event July 12, when eight potential players showed up to learn about the college, meet the new coach, and enroll for the fall semester.

“She has great tenacity and drive,” said Chris Moore, the College’s athletics director and men’s basketball coach. “I think she’s going to be an incredible hire for us. She’s somebody that can really, really relate to the young ladies.”

Her priority is finalizing the 2023-24 schedule, then building the foundation for a successful program by stressing teamwork and togetherness.

“The attitude of the program, that’s going to jump-start everything,” she said. “If there is no unity, there’s no meshing.”

Most recently, Parker spent two seasons as the head girls’ varsity coach at Voyager Academy High School in Durham, N.C. The team was ranked in the top 10 in the state (IA East) and hosted and won a state playoff game for the first time in school history. She had the conference player of the year and was named the conference’s coach of the year. She started her coaching career as an assistant high school coach in 2019 and has been an AAU coach.

“With her coming off being the coach of the year of her conference and also winning her league, she comes with a pedigree of winning,” Moore said. “I think VPCC’s going to be on the rise for the years to come in women’s basketball.”

Parker has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UNC Greensboro.

She replaces Keith Stagg, who had been the coach since 2018. The Gators went 3-7 in the 2022-23 season. Parker’s husband, Dominic, is an assistant men’s basketball coach at Christopher Newport University. They have a son, Nehemiah, whom she adopted when he was 6. He turned 13 on July 13.

https://www.vpcc.edu/news/2023/07/VPCC%20Hires%20Parker%20as%20Womens%20Basketball%20Coach.html

Tagged with: Juco