Photo by: USA Today Sports Images
Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee Profile: Michael Parkhurst
2/6/2020 12:01:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Les Johns
Parkhurst recently retired from the MLS at age 36 after a lengthy pro career.
Michael Parkhurst and Marcus Tracy became the fourth and fifth men's soccer players inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame over the weekend.
Parkhurst was originally voted in four years ago, but was a little busy winning the Major League Soccer Cup with Atlanta United. Now that his 15-year professional soccer career has come to an end, he joined Tracy and four other inductees in a ceremony Saturday during halftime of the Wake Forest vs. Clemson basketball game.
"It's pretty humbling and amazing to know I'm one of the first soccer players inducted," Parkhurst said. "That makes it even more amazing. I'm really excited about this weekend and looking forward to it. I'm proud to be a Deacon."
He enters the Hall of Fame as perhaps the most highly-decorated defensive player in Wake Forest program history. He earned All-ACC honors from 2002-04 and won ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2004. His teams won ACC regular season championships twice, and he's watched from afar as the Deacs have continued that level of excellence.
"It's been amazing," Parkhurst said. "Bobby (Muuss) has done an awesome job with the team since Jay (Vidovich) left. It's no surprise. Bobby was fantastic as an assistant coach when I was there and did great things at Denver.
"The program just hasn't skipped a beat. It's so tough in this age in soccer, to year after year be very good. Your very best players leave school almost every year. You have some who hang on for a couple years and even a handful that go all the way through, but the Jack Harrisons of the world take off after a season or two. That makes it tough and challenging for a coaching staff and a program to rebound. To be in the top five-or-ten week after week and year after year speaks volumes for the program as a whole."
After leaving for the professional ranks following his junior campaign with the Deacs, he earned MLS Rookie of the Year honors with the New England Revolution in 2005, then the Defender of the Year award in 2007.
"I left early, but I played for three seasons," Parkhurst said. "Back then, it was rare for that to occur. Most guys stayed, got their education, matured and played for three-or-four seasons. Now when the guys get to campus they've already received pro contract offers, but they might come to college for a year or two to learn the game a little bit before turning pro. I'm sure it's more challenging for the coaching staff.
"One of the things that was so amazing when I was there was the team culture, and Bobby seems to have continued that. They seem team-oriented. It's a brotherhood, and that has to be difficult when you have guys constantly coming in and out of the program."
Parkhurst was able to complete his degree from Wake Forest, and learned valuable lessons both on and off the soccer field during his time with the Deacs.
"One of the main things I learned real quick was time management," he said. "You stay busy as a student athlete and at Wake Forest they hold you to a high standard in the classroom, and obviously on the soccer field as well. Managing your time, getting things done and being responsible are important. On the field, learning to compete against older players, and being a good teammate and leader was the biggest thing I learned."
The final season in Winston-Salem for Parkhurst was 2004, with Tracy joining the team in 2005. The first time they met in person was on the soccer field in Denmark.
"We didn't play together at Wake, but played against each other in Denmark," Parkhurst said. "I knew of Marcus and his accomplishments, leading the team to the national championship. We got to know each other a little bit. All Demon Deacons, especially soccer players, know one another. It's cool to be up there with him this weekend, with both of us getting inducted, after it being a long wait for Wake Soccer."
Retirement has led to more time with the family, Parkhurst said, as well as working with a new tech company called Ripple. According to the company website, Ripple "is Accelerating Performance for individuals/teams/organizations, using an integration of novel engagement practices and intelligent data, pushing everyone to #bebetter."
"It's new and different," Parkhurst said. "I'm going to use that to give back to the soccer and business world. I'm learning the ins and outs and trying to grow that."
But for the weekend, Parkhurst focused on spending quality time with his Wake Forest family, as he earned induction into the Sports Hall of Fame.
"It's a small community, it is close and tight-knit," he said. "People take pride in being from Wake Forest. It means a lot to be out there, and be one of the few who will represent Wake Forest forever. I represented them for a few years on the field, and have always carried the Deacon with me. But to be part of the Hall of Fame is really cool stuff. I'll have my wife and kids with me. I'll get to be on campus, see the new facilities and all the changes. It's going to be incredible."
Parkhurst was originally voted in four years ago, but was a little busy winning the Major League Soccer Cup with Atlanta United. Now that his 15-year professional soccer career has come to an end, he joined Tracy and four other inductees in a ceremony Saturday during halftime of the Wake Forest vs. Clemson basketball game.
"It's pretty humbling and amazing to know I'm one of the first soccer players inducted," Parkhurst said. "That makes it even more amazing. I'm really excited about this weekend and looking forward to it. I'm proud to be a Deacon."
He enters the Hall of Fame as perhaps the most highly-decorated defensive player in Wake Forest program history. He earned All-ACC honors from 2002-04 and won ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2004. His teams won ACC regular season championships twice, and he's watched from afar as the Deacs have continued that level of excellence.
"It's been amazing," Parkhurst said. "Bobby (Muuss) has done an awesome job with the team since Jay (Vidovich) left. It's no surprise. Bobby was fantastic as an assistant coach when I was there and did great things at Denver.
"The program just hasn't skipped a beat. It's so tough in this age in soccer, to year after year be very good. Your very best players leave school almost every year. You have some who hang on for a couple years and even a handful that go all the way through, but the Jack Harrisons of the world take off after a season or two. That makes it tough and challenging for a coaching staff and a program to rebound. To be in the top five-or-ten week after week and year after year speaks volumes for the program as a whole."
After leaving for the professional ranks following his junior campaign with the Deacs, he earned MLS Rookie of the Year honors with the New England Revolution in 2005, then the Defender of the Year award in 2007.
"I left early, but I played for three seasons," Parkhurst said. "Back then, it was rare for that to occur. Most guys stayed, got their education, matured and played for three-or-four seasons. Now when the guys get to campus they've already received pro contract offers, but they might come to college for a year or two to learn the game a little bit before turning pro. I'm sure it's more challenging for the coaching staff.
"One of the things that was so amazing when I was there was the team culture, and Bobby seems to have continued that. They seem team-oriented. It's a brotherhood, and that has to be difficult when you have guys constantly coming in and out of the program."
Parkhurst was able to complete his degree from Wake Forest, and learned valuable lessons both on and off the soccer field during his time with the Deacs.
"One of the main things I learned real quick was time management," he said. "You stay busy as a student athlete and at Wake Forest they hold you to a high standard in the classroom, and obviously on the soccer field as well. Managing your time, getting things done and being responsible are important. On the field, learning to compete against older players, and being a good teammate and leader was the biggest thing I learned."
The final season in Winston-Salem for Parkhurst was 2004, with Tracy joining the team in 2005. The first time they met in person was on the soccer field in Denmark.
"We didn't play together at Wake, but played against each other in Denmark," Parkhurst said. "I knew of Marcus and his accomplishments, leading the team to the national championship. We got to know each other a little bit. All Demon Deacons, especially soccer players, know one another. It's cool to be up there with him this weekend, with both of us getting inducted, after it being a long wait for Wake Soccer."
Retirement has led to more time with the family, Parkhurst said, as well as working with a new tech company called Ripple. According to the company website, Ripple "is Accelerating Performance for individuals/teams/organizations, using an integration of novel engagement practices and intelligent data, pushing everyone to #bebetter."
"It's new and different," Parkhurst said. "I'm going to use that to give back to the soccer and business world. I'm learning the ins and outs and trying to grow that."
But for the weekend, Parkhurst focused on spending quality time with his Wake Forest family, as he earned induction into the Sports Hall of Fame.
"It's a small community, it is close and tight-knit," he said. "People take pride in being from Wake Forest. It means a lot to be out there, and be one of the few who will represent Wake Forest forever. I represented them for a few years on the field, and have always carried the Deacon with me. But to be part of the Hall of Fame is really cool stuff. I'll have my wife and kids with me. I'll get to be on campus, see the new facilities and all the changes. It's going to be incredible."
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10
Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10
Wake Forest Football vs Western Carolina | Cinematic Recap
Tuesday, September 09