Chris Parsons enters his 25th year and 24th season as Head Men's Soccer Coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy.
Coach Parsons has a 23-year record of 202-161-63 at USCGA and has led the Bears to postseason play in 17 of those 23 seasons (2002-09, 2012-14, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023-25), including an NCAA Tournament berth in 2014, the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2014 and just the third NCAA Tournament appearance in USCGA men's soccer history. Parsons also led the Bears to the ECAC Division III New England Championship in 2008, and again in 2012.
The 2025 season was a solid one for USCGA men's soccer. The Bears went 7-6-7 overall and 3-1-4 in the highly competitive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) to qualify as the 3-seed in the conference tournament, marking three consecutive years of postseason qualification for the Bears. In the NEWMACChampionship Tournament, the Bears defeated 6-seed Springfield College at home after a 1-1 stalemate through extra time was settled with a thrilling penalty shootout. The team eventually bowed out to 2-seed Babson College, 1-3, in the semifinals.
Senior back Aidan Miles and junior midfielder Cole Miller were both recognized with NEWMAC All-Conference First Team nods, while senior forward Aki Freeman was a Second Team selection. Miller, who was the team leader in points (13) and goals scored (6), was also selected for the United Soccer Coaches All-Region II Third Team. USCGA had six players recognized as NEWMAC Academic All-Conference, while five were College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honorees.
The 2014 season saw Parsons named NEWMAC Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to a 13-3-3 overall record and 4-1-2 showing in conference play. The 13 regular season victories were the most in program history, and the team was ranked as high as 14th nationally and second in New England during the historic season. It was Parsons' third time receiving the Coach of the Year award, having also earned it in 2007 and 2012. During his tenure, the Bears also played to national rankings in 2021 and 2022, with both squads being recognized as the #1 team in New England. Parsons has coached 60 All-NEWMAC selections, 16 All-Region selections, and three All-Americans.
During his 32-year career in collegiate men's soccer, Parsons has amassed 286 victories, including 242 in NCAA Division III. Before his arrival in New London, Parsons was head coach at Vassar College from 1997 through 2001, where he compiled a 40-37-5 record. He led the Brewers to back-to-back ECAC Tournament berths in 1997 and 1998 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1999.
Prior to Poughkeepsie, Coach Parsons headed the men's soccer program at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, from 1993 to 1996. He led the JUCO side to a 44-20-4 record during his time there, and in 1996 his team won the NJCAARegion III Championship. In 1995, he was named the NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year after leading Champlain to a runner-up finish in the regional tournament.
As a student-athlete, Parsons was an NSCAA First Team All-American at Middlebury College, where he earned a Bachelor's in Economics. He'd later go on to acquire his Master's in Sports Management at UMass Amherst in 1990. Parsons holds NSCAA Advanced National, National, and Professional Diplomas. He was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame in January of 2017, and was inducted into the Southeast Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022.
In addition to coaching the Academy's men's soccer team, Parsons also serves the Athletics Department as Associate Athletics Director specializing in facilities and admissions, and is also a Health & Physical Education Instructor.
