Photos Courtesy of Keith Kountz
From player to coach, Parrish has done it all.
Assistant coach Amy Parrish has done it all.
From full-time student-athlete to mom to professional basketball overseas and now assistant coach at her alma mater.
Parrish currently resides on the first seat on the Bulldog bench as an assistant coach to head coach Adrian Wiggins just four years after graduating.
Parrish who was raised in Hanford, as a junior transfer from Reedley College she was named Central Valley Conference MVP and made the All-Tournament team at the Commission On Athletics (COA) Basketball Championships.
Parrish achieved even more her first year in a Bulldog uniform starting in all 31 games, leading the team in scoring with and was a first team All-WAC section.
As a senior, Parrish continued to juggle the student-athlete lifestyle as well as motherhood. By then Parrish was the mother to a two-year old son Ty, who was one of the of the many support systems she had to make it through.
“My family and friends,” Parrish said is who she leaned on for support.
“They [my family] supported me and helped me more than I could have imagined that they would be able to. ”
In her last season, 2005-06, Parrish averaged 15.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She posted four double-doubles and scored in double figures a team-high 24 times. All while maintaining a 3.2 grade point average.
For the second time in two consecutive years she received first team All-WAC selection, coming the fourth player in the history of Fresno State to earn this honor.
Parrish graduated with a degree in Chicano/Latin American studies and began her journey in the work force.
“Then not to soon after I started to doubt my job choice, an old friend of mine called and asked if I was interested in playing because they had a spot on their team,” Parrish said. “I accepted and figured I would give it one more shot!
For eight months Parrish played on a professional women’s basketball team in Holland. Upon her return she took a position as an assistant coach at Cal-State University Bakersfield where she learned a lot about coaching and the team she wanted to be a part of.
In July of 2008, two years after graduating, Parrish rejoined the bulldogs as a part of the coaching staff for the women’s basketball team.
Photos Courtesy of Fresno State Athletics
Parrish’s intelligence in basketball and energy will be an asset, Wiggins said in an article on bulldogs.com. “Amy was an important part of the success we had from 2004-06 and she will be an important part of our success as we prepare to defend our WAC championship.”
Parrish continues her journey with the Bulldogs this season as the team continues to fiercely break records. She has enjoyed her time growing as coach along side Wiggins and could not see herself anywhere else.
Q & A:
Q: When was it that you knew you wanted to play basketball at the collegiate level?
A: I basically knew that I wanted to play college basketball once I got into high school and I learned that I could get my school paid for. I loved the game and it was a way to motivate myself to work hard. It kind of came easy to me and I just kept wanting to improve my game.
Q: What was your fondest memory in a Bulldog uniform?
A: My fondest memory is just being around my teammates and coaches. I loved the competitiveness that the teams had while I was here. We fought against each other hard day in and day out, and then to see it come together against other teams was fun. I loved the ups and downs of being around the same people for 6-7 months straight, and knowing that you are all in this together with one common goal at the end.
Q: Only four years after graduating from Fresno State, did you ever imagine yourself back on the bench as a coach? And coaching along side Wiggins instead of listening as a player?
A: I actually never thought that I would coach. But once I got back into it I didn’t want to work for anyone else. The Central Valley is home to me and Fresno State is my alma mater. We had talked about me paying my dues and growing as a coach then someday coming back to help here but I never thought it would happen this soon. I am very thankful though. I learned a lot as a player from Coach Brett Frank and Coach Wiggins and I am learning even more from all of them after joining the staff.
Q: What are your hopes and expectations as a coach for this season?
A: For this team to reach their potential!! These girls are amazing young women and talented athletes. They work hard and they do a lot for others. I think they have a great opportunity that they don’t even realize at times; once they do and it all clicks, they will be even more fun to watch.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
A: My favorite thing about being a coach is getting to see these girls grow. I love the interaction and having an open line of communication with them so that even though I am their coach and they respect me, they can still come to me if they ever need anything.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: Spending time with my son, family and friends.
Q: Who was your role models/inspiration growing up?
A: My parents. They are very hard working and have always supported their children, even through some very tough times. I would not be the person I am today or continue to grow to be without them!