Deneen (Pronounced: de-NEEN) Parker joined the Indiana State staff for the 2019-20 season after spending three years as the associate head coach at Northwestern State.
In her time at Northwestern State, Parker helped develop Victoria Miller into a second team Academic All-Southland Conference performer as Miller’s growth in the second half of her junior season led to a career year for the 6-foot Texas native. She also assisted in the development of RaVon Nero, focusing on post moves that helped Nero tally 370 points, the fifth-highest total for a Northwestern State freshman in school history.
Parker’s tenure with the Demons was highlighted by the growth of Libba Gilliam, the team’s leading scorer that became an inside-out weapon, showcasing a deft 3-point touch.
Parker made the move to Northwestern State following two decades on the staff at SMU, where she was part of five NCAA Tournament teams while on Rhonda Rompola’s staff. She helped the Mustangs reach the Big Dance in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2008. With Parker on staff, SMU captured regular-season championships in the Western Athletic Conference (2000) and Conference USA (2009, 2013).
SMU’s 1999 WAC Tournament championship was the program’s first as was the Mustangs’ 2000 regular-season title.
During her 21 seasons with the Mustangs, Parker burnished her reputation as a standout recruiter, eventually taking over as SMU’s recruiting coordinator.
Parker’s college roots began in the Southland Conference when she played four years at Stephen F. Austin, earning a Bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in marketing in 1994.
She was a two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year and a two-time District VI Kodak All-American while helping lead the Ladyjacks to four straight SLC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. That standout career led her to being inducted into Stephen F. Austin’s Hall of Fame in 2010.
Parker was part of the gold-medal winning team at the 1991 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival and played professionally for six months in Luxembourg and Germany.
