'It's been a blast': Longtime Bradley athletics exec recalls his favorite BU sports moments

PEORIA — Bobby Parker might be leaving his long career behind at Bradley University, but he's taking countless memories with him.

The Bradley senior associate athletic director for event and facility operations has resigned from BU, effective Feb. 29. He was announced on Thursday as the new chief operating officer of the Peoria City soccer team. And he is launching Champion Experiences, an enterprise he says will bring "fun and entertainment to the Peoria community."

"I really cherish the relationships born through my time at Bradley, from the hundreds of student-athletes who spent such important years of their lives with us, to the staff and all of the fans I have come to know," Parker said. "At the end of the day, this is a relationships business, and I am thankful for all of the relationships."

Bobby Parker's time at Bradley

Parker, 52, took a look back at some of his favorite moments at Bradley, before moving ahead.

Champion Experiences will be sports-leaning, because Parker is, going back 25 years at Bradley in a career where he was best-known as one of the top sports information directors in the country. He advanced through an array of titles while ascending at BU, from SID to senior associate athletic director for communications and event and facility operations, adding game day operations and ticket office operations most recently, and more.

"We are incredibly grateful to Bobby for all of his many contributions to Bradley Athletics," Bradley vice president for intercollegiate athletics Dr. Chris Reynolds said. "His tireless work ethic and loyal support will always be very much appreciated."

Parker, a New Mexico State University graduate, served as a graduate assistant at Illinois State, then went to Creighton where he eventually became sports information director. There, he was named National SID of the Year by College Soccer Weekly in 1998. His desktop design work brought him accolades from the College Sports Information Directors of America. He was known as the SID and primary contact point for Bradley men's basketball for more than two decades, and he introduced a student-based audio and video broadcasting program on the athletic department's official website — www.BradleyBraves.com.

"I came here as SID, under (former Bradley men's basketball coach) Jim Molinari," Parker said. "I've been at Bradley 24 years and 11 months. Over the course of nearly 25 years and in various roles, I have many fond memories that involve all of our teams, so it is hard to really say 'These are my favorites,' but there certainly are many moments that stand out."

And here's his list of greatest hits, in no particular order.

Illinois at Carver Arena, Nov. 22, 1999

Parker's first season at Bradley was 1999-2000, and the Braves hosted No. 15 Illinois in a 72-63 loss at Carver Arena in front of 11,430. "We had a game-day luncheon in the Peoria Civic Center exhibit halls," Parker said. "That was my first real introduction to Bradley basketball."

2006 Sweet 16

"There are so many memories from that run, and it's remarkable I can even remember any of it with as little sleep as I enjoyed from the time we landed back in Peoria after beating Kansas and Pitt in Oakland until we returned from California," Parker said. "And you cannot convince me there will ever be a better television score bug graphic than: BRAD 72 PITT 66. Maybe one day, I'll re-tell the car fire story during the California portion of the 2006 NCAA Tourney."

'The Miracle at Maryland'

Bradley's 2007 soccer playoff run to the NCAA Elite Eight.

"Truly remarkable, first by redeeming such a painful, last-second loss to Creighton in the MVC Tournament Championship game the year prior by earning a last-second win against the Bluejays in the championship game the next year for their first postseason title," Parker said. "Then the team won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game by beating DePaul at Shea Stadium, setting up a matchup against perennial national power Indiana and knocking of the 2004 national champions on their home field in a PK shootout.

"But if that wasn't good enough, the team pulled off one of the most remarkable comeback wins you can possibly imagine. Down two goals on the road against the 2005 national champions with 2½ minutes to go, they rallied to force overtime and then pulled off the "Miracle at Maryland" by scoring the game-winner with less than two minutes remaining in the second overtime."

Parker didn't see any of it. He was with the men's basketball team on those game nights.

"I still get a little choked up, though, telling the story of (longtime Bradley basketball public address announcer) Paul Herzog's final score announcement of the Maryland game during that night's men's basketball game at Carver Arena," Parker said.

" 'NCAA Soccer Tournament update for College Park, Maryland: with 2-and-half minutes remaining, Maryland 2, Bradley 0 … with one minute remaining, Maryland 2, Bradley 1 … at the end of regulation, Maryland 2, Bradley 2 … final score in double overtime, Maryland 2 (dramatic pause) Bradley 3.' "

2015 NCAA Baseball Selection Show

Evan Gruener hit a three-run homer to beat Indiana State in the MVC Tournament and set the stage.

"I really felt good about the baseball team's chances to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1968, but you never really know until you hear your name announced during the selection show," Parker said. "The nerves were really tensing as the show went on and on without our name being called … and then with the last spot to be filled, 'BRADLEY' appeared on the screen, and I am sure the roof of Buffalo Wild Wings at Grand Prairie lifted."

These last five years of BU basketball success:

"The core group of guys who won the first MVC Tournament title were my last group of players I got to know on the SID level, and to see them complete the turnaround of the program with Coach (Brian) Wardle and his staff will always be special," Parker said. "And to win the championship game the way they did could not be more symbolic of their complete Bradley experience.

"But then to be inside a sold-out Carver Arena (Bradley vs Drake in 2023), trying to provide order to an obvious court-storm situation as the team wrapped up the first Bradley Basketball regular-season championship in 27 years, will always be a special moment."

Always A Brave's run in TBT

"I'm not sure I have ever had as much fun "working" as I did getting our men's basketball alumni together for that first TBT in 2016," Parker said. "The fact the team advanced all the way to the semifinals was just the cherry on top, but the month we all spent together will always be special.

"And those Always A Brave guys, young and old, pulled off two miracle rallies."

Just a moment

Parker had some miracle moments he'd love to re-live, too.

• There was the Always a Brave effort in the 2016 TBT, when in the second round, down five with 15 seconds to go, Jeremy Crouch hit a corner 3-pointer, Tony Bennett stole the inbounds pass at midcourt, dribbled the clock down, and buried a walk-off 3-pointer.

• The TBT in 2021, when Always a Brave was down by as much as 13 in the Elam Ending and ending up triggering the first-ever TBT court-storm when Marcellus Sommerville cherry-picked the game-winning layup. "Little known fact," Parker said. "One of the opposing players puked on the court as Marcellus was laying in the game-winner."

• The above-mentioned Miracle at Maryland, and the Miracle on Main: In the latter, "Lasha Petree had one of the most remarkable individual performances I have ever, or will ever, witnessed," Parker said. "With the Braves trailing by 17 points with just over 4 minutes to play, Lasha scored 13 points and came away with three steals in a span of 46 seconds. She then made the game-winning free throw to complete the rally."

• There was also the Chris Roberts' heave. The heave BU's Chris Roberts made from the far free throw line to beat Oakland, 76-75 in a 2009 second-round CIT game at Carver Arena is believed to be the longest game-winning buzzer beater in college basketball postseason history. "There is no better image than seeing Joe Napoli run around the court with his hands in the air," Parker said. "I actually missed the shot live as I was putting my computer away after the player from Oakland scored. I looked up in time to see the ball bank in and I turned to Jason Planck and said, "Did that count?"

• Parker will take all this with him on his next journey. "I could go on-and-on," he said. "It's been a blast."

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley University's Bobby Parker remembers time with Peoria college