Lebanon Valley College Athletics

Don Parsons has been the Head Coach of the Lebanon Valley College men's ice hockey team since the 2011-12 season. Parsons and LVC jumped back into the NCAA Division III in 2016-17 after spending five years competing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association's (ACHA) Division I Conference.  

Parsons holds a 151-217-19 career record in 15 seasons with Lebanon Valley. His 151 victories make him LVC’s all-time winningest coach. The Dutchmen have tallied 62 wins at the NCAA Division III level, and 89 victories in the ACHA Division I Conference during his tenure. Parsons has led the Dutchmen to the postseason eight times, including three United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Quarterfinal appearances at the Division III level. He also guided LVC to the playoffs five times when the program was a club team, recording trips to both the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) Championship game (2012) and the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) Championship game (2016). The program also reached the ACHA Division I Elite Eight once (2016). Parsons has been recognized for his success over the years, as he was named the inaugural UCHC Coach of the Year (2017-18) and collected ESCHL Coach of the Year honors once (2013-14). 

Parsons has coached several players to individual accolades, including one Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Offensive Player of the Year (Brett Johnson ’20) and one Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West Rookie of the Year (Cole Hepler ’20) at the Division III level. He played a key role in the development of one ESCHL Rookie of the Year (Bryan Hovanec ’19) when the program was a club team as well. Additionally, 31 players have received All-Conference honors under his tutelage. The Flying Dutchmen have earned 27 of these All-Conference honors at the Division III level, including 23 from the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), two from the UCHC, and two from the ECAC West. Additionally, three players were recognized on the All-ECHA Team, and one student-athlete was listed on the All-ESCHL Team when LVC competed in the ACHA Division I Conference. Furthermore, Parsons has coached nine All-Rookie players, including two in the UCHC and ECAC West, and five in the ESCHL. He led two players to ESCHL All-Defensive Team accolades as well. 

Parsons has also helped several players etch their names into the program’s record books. Hovanec graduated as the program’s career leader in game-winning goals (seven), while Hepler finished his four seasons with career program records in power-play goals (18) and short-handed goals (nine). Additionally, he coached goaltender Chris Branch ’26, who graduated with the program record in career saves (1,762). 

Parsons has contributed to student-athletes achieving academic success as well, as several players have been recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom. Under his leadership, 24 student-athletes have been named American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA)/Krampade All-American Scholars, and eight players have been selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. During his time at the helm, Lebanon Valley student-athletes have also been listed on the MAC Academic Honor Roll 162 times and on the Academic All-MAC Team 11 times. Additionally, 112 players were honored on the UCHC All-Academic Team, and 15 have been chosen to the Eastern Athletic Communications Association (EAST-COMM) Academic Honor Roll.  
 
A prolific scorer as a professional player, Parsons came to Lebanon Valley following a 17-year playing career that saw him become the all-time leading goal scorer in minor league hockey history with 682 career goals. After spending four years playing at UMass-Lowell, Parsons spent time in various leagues, including eight years in the East Coast Hockey League, six in the Central Hockey League (CHL), and four years in the International Hockey League. He also had two opportunities in the American Hockey League. 
 
The two-time league and playoff Most Valuable Player for the CHL, Parsons also received the Joe Burton Award in 2000-2001, given to the league's scoring champion. 
 
Among his numerous on-ice accomplishments, Parsons spends a great deal of his time on charitable efforts. In 2002, he started Parsons Pledge, which has given over $150,000 to local charities. He also helped build an outdoor roller hockey rink with $200,000 in donations.