Columbus’ Chris Parker named All-USA national boys golf coach of the year
Columbus boys golf coach Chris Parker was named USA Today’s All-USA national boys coach of the year on Thursday, capping off a magnificent season for his team.
The Blue Devils shot a 6-under-par 282 at the state meet, which earned it a Class 5A title and was also the lowest score among all the state champions. Parker thought, when he was contacted a couple of days ago about submitting a photo, that he would be recognized as the top coach in Georgia along with 49 other states’ coaches.
He was surprised on Thursday to see his name as the overall coach of the year.
“It was a big surprise,” he said. “It was very rewarding. To me, it’s even more a testament to the kids on the team. It’s kind of like a mythical national championship. They know that junior golf in Georgia is as good as anywhere, and to have the type of year we had, it’s a credit to them on the team.”
Parker has coached for 22 years, won a trio of state championships and 15 region titles.
David Mitchell: 706-571-8571, @leprepsports
This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Columbus’ Chris Parker named All-USA national boys golf coach of the year."