Dick Park to Step Down After 31 Years as Franklin Men's Golf Head Coach

FRANKLIN, IN - One of Franklin College's iconic campus figures will be stepping down after coaching the Grizzlies men's golf team for 31 years.

Dick Park, who last academic year celebrated 50 years of being affiliated with the college in many capacities, will officially hand over the reins to Roger Lundy at the conclusion of the spring schedule.

"Dick Park has enjoyed an extremely successful career as a coach, and his golf program has been a source of pride on campus for decades.  But Dick's achievements extend well beyond coaching," said Kerry Prather, Franklin's director of athletics. "He had a remarkable tenure as a professor and administrator.  He and Ruth have raised their own family as well as opening
their hearts and their home to a number of foster children over the years.

"Dick is a shining example of Franklin College's mission to inspire students toward lives of excellence, leadership and service."

"The program and I owe Coach Park a debt of gratitude," added Lundy. "Dick's leadership and dedication to all his current and former players has been an inspiration during my 17-year coaching career. When I was a young coach I always wanted to have a program like Franklin had. I trusted Dick so much I sent my son to play for him.

"I'm not sure how you follow a Hall of Fame caliber coach like Dick but I'm humbled to have the opportunity. I know Coach will be available if I need some help. I truly value his friendship and congratulate him on a very successful career."

For Park, there will be much about coaching he will miss.

"I was enthused about what we were doing and they (the players) were enthused about what they were doing, and it helped quite a bit to be winning with some regularity," said Park. "A good percentage of the kids in the program had the same sort of aspirations I had for them.

"Though the years, I've been able to associate with such a nice bunch of guys, and to get to know them more than just at a superficial level."

Park began coaching the Franklin golf team in 1979-80 and has guided a program that has been the standard bearer in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and a power among Midwest schools for more than two decades.

Park's Grizzly teams have captured 10 conference tournament championships since 1988. He was five times named Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in each of Franklin's league championship years of 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1997 and five times named the HCAC's top coach in each of the Grizzlies' league record five consecutive league title years of 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

His golf teams qualified for the NAIA national championship event four straight years from 1985 through 1988. Steve Nelson, a member of the FC Athletic Hall of Fame, competed in the NAIA nationals three times (twice as an individual qualifier).

Moreover, Park's 2004-05 team earned the first berth in the NCAA Division III Championships in the history of the program, and Park was named the recipient of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Eaton Golf Pride Regional Coach of the Year that season. He also coached one individual qualifier (Tim Fish) in the NCAA III national competition in 2006.

During his tenure, Park has guided 11 conference Most Valuable Player honorees (Steve Nelson [twice], Wendell Mills, Matt Snavely, Ryan Easton, Phil Belk, Brett Widner, Fish [twice], John Lett and Justin Ridge), one NAIA All-America honoree (Steve Gardner), three NAIA Scholar-Athletes (Gardner, Chris Woolery, Ken Sandel) and three GCAA Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar awardees (Widner, Fish and J.W. Moore).

Park, who retired as a full-time mathematics professor in May of 2002, joined the Franklin faculty in 1958. He graduated from Hanover College in 1951 and earned his master's degree from Syracuse University in 1956 and his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in 1963.

In addition to his academic and coaching duties, Park was the academic dean of the college and vice president of academic affairs for 14 years, the provost for two years and the acting president for a year and a half.

He is a member of the Mathematical Association of America and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. He and his wife, Ruth, reside in Franklin and have 10 children.

Prather has announced Park will be succeeded by Lundy, who has served as FC assistant men's coach and head women's golf coach since the start of the 2007-08 academic year.

"Roger has worked with Dick for the past few seasons, and they share a common commitment to excellence," said Prather. "The program remains in very capable hands, and I am confident Coach Lundy will continue the tradition of success Dick has built and sustained over the past 30 years."

Lundy has been the Director of the Gongaware Golf Academy at the Indiana Golf Association office in Franklin since 2004. His Franklin women's team will be competing in the NCAA Division III Championships in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. in May, 2010 after capturing the HCAC championship last month.