Hall of Fame Coach From Enfield High School Passes Away

ENFIELD, CT — Kirk Parker, son of a legendary wrestling coach who became a Hall of Fame coach in his own right, passed away Sunday.

Parker, a 2013 inductee into the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame, guided Enfield High School for 25 years, from 1974 to 1999, winning Class L state championships in 1979 and 1984, and finishing second in 1982 and 1983. Under his leadership, the Raiders also won league titles in 1979, 1983 and 1986.

His state title teams have also been inducted into the Enfield shrine.

In his long career at Enfield, the son of longtime Springfield College coach Doug Parker mentored three State Open champions and 19 class champions. More importantly, however, he instilled a positive attitude and great values in all of his athletes, and expected maximum effort in both practice and competition.

"When any of us as his former wrestlers talk about Coach Parker, you hear about the man who was tough, demanding, no BS who we all looked up to, feared, respected and admired," said 1999 Hall of Famer Chuck Africano. "He was an inspirational leader who instilled into all of us the values, work ethic, fortitude and confidence to become champions, not just on the wrestling mat but in life. He was able to connect with all of us because he believed in each of us, but just as importantly we believed in him because he led by example and set the moral code and standards which he lived by. He will always be known as a great coach who truly loved and cared for his athletes, but his real legacy is the young men he molded who to this day pass on the traits he instilled in all of us to younger generations. Scott Strouth perfectly described him by simply saying: He was our Vince Lombardi. He will be truly missed."

Dave Fredrick, a key member of the 1984 championship team, recalled, "Here it is in a nutshell that sums up Coach Parker: 'Treat everyone you meet off the mat with love and respect. Show no one fear or respect on the mat.' It was a metaphor for life and he knew it. And of course, 'Keep smiling.' He told us that twice a week."

"His amount of wrestling knowledge was so far superior to mine," said Joe Andrychowski, his assistant coach with the 1984 championship squad and a fellow Hall of Famer. "He had a way with kids. He brought out the best in every kid that ever wrestled for him, and he was a pleasure to work with."

Barry Bernstein, who led the Manchester High School wrestling program for more than 30 years and later became Enfield athletic coordinator, coached against Parker for many years, and also officiated many of the Raiders' matches.

"He was a chip off the old block, a gentleman," Bernstein said. "As a rival coach, he never challenged you when you made a move, and as an official, he was always a consummate gentleman. He had his kids trained well. I considered him a good friend, and he will be missed,"

Until the consolidation of the town's two high schools in 2016, Parker had the pleasure of awarding the Kirk Parker Cup to the winner of the annual crosstown rivalry matchup between Enfield and Fermi.

"He was a very gracious and very knowledgeable individual and coach," said former Fermi coach and fellow Hall of Famer Ben Aleks.

Funeral arrangements for Parker have not yet been completed.

Photo (black & white) courtesy of Enfield Historical Society via archive.org
Photo (color) courtesy of Tim Jensen

To register for free Enfield news alerts and more, click here.