On Dec. 9, Concordia dedicated the new gym floor in honor of an alum who left a lasting legacy on the high school.
The Eugene Parker Court is named in memory of Eugene Parker, a 1974 alumnus, who was a standout basketball player at Concordia and then later at Purdue University. He continued to carry his faith and servant heart into his business and life. He founded a sports agency where he served professional clients in athletics and entertainment, including Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, and Rod Woodson. He was also inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 during its inaugural year and is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Parker passed away in 2016 following a battle with kidney cancer.
“Playing with Eugene was just amazing. All of the teammates loved him,” said Greg Rehberg, Concordia Director of Alumni and Donor Relations and a teammate of Parker’s at Concordia. “What Eugene did was he made you better. In other words, he would always challenge you — dribble better, shoot better, pass the ball better. But he was also a very good friend, and he would always take care of you. To have the court named in his honor means a lot to us.”
The original 1963 gym floor was replaced this past summer. This $1 million
gym renovation effort will also bring about new bleachers, new lights, sound system, scoreboards, and funding for a special endowment to provide annual maintenance to sustain the facility for generations to come. The new sound system is being installed around Christmas thanks to donations from friends of Concordia. The bleachers will be replaced this October.
Parker’s family was in attendance for the dedication ceremony along with the Russ Quilhot family who were significant donors of the gym floor. Charles Quilhot, representing the Quilhot family, spoke of the alum’s love for the high school and what this naming would have meant to him. If you'd like to be involved in this project, please contact Matt Konow or Greg Rehberg.