The 2025-26 campaign will be the last in the coaching tenure of Sue Parks.
Parks, a member of the Eastern Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame, announced on Aug. 7, 2025, that she will be stepping down from her full-time role as Women's Cross Country Head Coach and Women's Track & Field Associate Head Coach at the conclusion of the 2025-26 outdoor season, marking her 20th season as a pinnacle member of the school’s track and field program.
"It has been an incredible journey, and I'm thankful for all of the student-athletes that I've had the privilege to coach," said Parks in a statement to EMU Athletics. "Eastern Michigan Athletics hired me 19 years ago, and I was not about to let them down."
The former EMU track great succeeded in her mission, leading the program to 18 conference titles overall during her tenure and taking home Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors 16 times over various track disciplines.
Before returning to coach at her alma mater, Parks brought eight MAC titles to Ball State University’s track and field programs from 1996-2003 and was named Coach of the Year eight times during her time there. That adds up to a grand total of 26 conference titles and 24 Coach of the Year awards throughout her illustrious coaching career.
As the daughter of Bob Parks, the most heralded coach in EMU Athletics history, Parks followed in her father's footsteps. Bob Parks, who also coached track and field, led the program to 31 Mid-American Conference titles and brought home 22 Coach of the Year awards during his coaching tenure from 1967-2001. He was also a former Eastern Michigan track athlete from 1951-55 and was inducted into the EMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980.
"Coach Parks has built a legacy of excellence at Eastern Michigan that will resonate for generations," said EMU Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee in a statement to EMU Athletics.
