Michael Parnell is just the second head coach in the history of the Utica College men's lacrosse program and recently completed his 14th season at the helm. He currently occupies an overall record of 98-126 over 16 seasons. On his home turf at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium, He has guided 48 All-Conference selections and several Pioneers into the record books during his tenure.
In 2021, the Pioneers started off 4-0 for the first time in over a decade as they compiled a 5-1 record before a short season came to a close. Three Pioneers were picked to All-Conference teams.
In 2020, the Pioneers opened play with a record of 1-4 before the season was halted as a precaution due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Three of the team's four losses were by three goals or less, including an outstanding comeback effort in the season opener against Wilkes University. Utica recorded a victory against Marywood in their final game of the season. Dale Wagner had eight goals and eleven points to lead Utica in the shortened season, while Dylan Dunham had a team-high nine goals.
In 2019, Parnell guided Utica to a 7-9 record and a 3-5 mark in the Empire 8 Conference. Two players under Parnell's coaching received Empire 8 All- Conference honors, those players being Kevin Parisi and Jared Smaldon.
In 2017, the Pioneers totaled a program-best 10 victories, and Utica came one win shy of earning a berth into the Empire 8 Conference tournament for just the second time ever. UC’s four wins in conference play also tied the single-season program record, set back in 2013. Six players were named to Empire 8 All-Conference teams, including Dominic Castiglia, Rusty Dessert, Jake Bratek, Brickman House, Tyler Nicolaus, and Mitch Sobilo.
In 2016, he posted a 4-11 overall record with a 3-5 Empire 8 Conference record. This is the fourth year in a row that the Pioneers have had three or more victories in the conference. Parnell guided a program tying six players to All-Conference honors. Freshman Dominic Castiglia, junior Tyler Nicolaus, freshman John Hanlon, junior Rusty Dessert, and senior Aric Freishlag were all named to the honorable mention team while senior Brandon Souza was named to the Sportsman of the Year team.
In 2015, Parnell posted an 8-8 overall record and a 3-5 mark in conference play. Parnell’s Pioneers have now won at least eight games in five of their last seven seasons and have registered a .500 record or better for the fourth consecutive season.
Parnell guided four Pioneers to All-Conference accolades in 2015 including Sean Flanagan, Tom Bryne, Zach Stevenson and Andrew DiOrio. Byrne and Flanagan become the third and fourth players in program-history to have earned All-Conference accolades in three consecutive seasons, joining Mick Krajacic '12 and Michael Bulger '10. Parnell led DiOrio, UC’s everyday goalie, into the single season record books with a program-best eight victories and an 8.26 goals against average. DiOrio's 15 career wins rank second all-time at UC and his 361 career saves ranks fourth all-time.
His Pioneers opened up the first half of the 2015 season with a 6-2 record including a five game win streak where they outscored opponents 48-21 during that span.
In 2014, the general guided five Pioneers to Empire 8 All-Conference selections, marking the second most representatives in program-history. Parnell’s group of Pioneers helped lead the program to eight victories as they finished with a final record of .500 or better for the third straight year. This year also marked the sixth time in program-history that UC has finished the season with eight or more wins. Three wins in the Empire 8 were tied for the second-most conference victories in program-history. He led senior Joe Schoen to a record setting season as he capped his career with a program-best 82 assists and is making his first appearance on the honorable mention list. Schoen’s third straight selection to the Sportsman of the Year team is a new school-record. He finished his senior season with a team-best 25 assists and ranked sixth in the E8 with an average of 1.56 assists per game. He also became the eighth player in program-history to join the 100 point club.
Coach Parnell had his best season in 2013 as he led the Pioneers into the record books for wins in a single season with nine. He compiled a 9-7 overall mark including a 4-3 ledger in the Empire 8 Conference and UC's first trip ever to the conference tournament. Parnell guided UC to 4-of-6 victories in the conference to close out the year including the double overtime thriller at home to get into the playoffs. He led the team to school-records for shots attempted (660) and goals against average (8.43), while finishing fourth all-time in assists (109) and fifth in points (283). Parnell guided six Pioneers to All-Conference status, another school-record, as well as pushing senior attack Ben Winkler over 100 goals in his career for only the third time in program history. Winkler was posthumously inducted into the Pioneer Hall of Fame.
In 2012, he guided the Pioneers to an 8-8 overall record including 3-4 mark in the Empire 8 Conference and the program’s first ever All-American, senior defenseman Mick Krajacic. Parnell tied the school record once again for wins in a season with eight and the team set a new program record for points and assists in a single-season with 318 (187 goals, 131 assists). The 187 goals scored ranks second all-time in the record books.
Parnell coached the UC men’s lacrosse team to eight victories in 2009, tying a school record for wins in a single season. As a team, UC scored 289 points (175 goals, 114 assists), good for second all-time.
In the summer of 2009 Parnell spent a full season as an assistant coach for the Chicago Machine of the MLL (Major League Lacrosse). Parnell assisted Head Coach John Combs, whom he previously worked with at Colgate University. Parnell primarily worked with the offense and guided the Machine to a total of 242 points in 12 games.
Parnell is a 2002 graduate of Utica College where he was a founding member of the Pioneer lacrosse program. He currently holds the school record for most points and goals in a game after netting eight goals and tallying two assists against Susquehanna in 2000. He ranks fourth on the college's all-time single season goal scoring list after finding the back of the net 33 times in 2000.
Parnell served as assistant coach for the Utica men's lacrosse program from 2001-03 under former head coach and current Assistant Vice President for Advancement/Alumni and Parent Relations Tim Nelson.
Prior to his arrival at Utica College, Parnell assisted the Jefferson Community College men's lacrosse program, and most recently completed back-to-back one-year stints as an assistant coach at Colgate University and Brown University.
He currently resides in New Hartford, N.Y.
