Scott Parkinson hired as Utah Royals assistant coach

Utah Royals FC officially announced today the first assistant coach signing for the NWSL side: Scott Parkinson, the former Rogers State University women’s soccer head coach.

He will join Laura Harvey on the coaching staff ahead of the 2018 season, coming off of his second season in charge of Rogers State in Oklahoma, where he was awarded the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in 2017.

From the press release:

“I have known Scott for a number of years, we met on a coaching license course in the U.S. Since completing the course, we have always kept in touch and I have followed his career closely,” said Harvey, who will reside full-time in Utah beginning on January 3 in preparation for the Royals’ inaugural season. “Scott sees the game in a similar way to me, he is knowledgeable about the women’s game, and knows what I’m looking for in teams I coach. He is a hard worker who will give everything to make this Club the best it can be and I’m excited to have Scott on our staff.”

Parkinson, who hails from Liverpool, England, spent only two seasons as head coach of the Rogers State University Hillcats, boasting a 19-13-6 record overall. He’s responsible for the massive turnaround the soccer program saw — before his arrival, the Hillcats finished the previous season with only one win to their name.

His first season with RSU in 2016 saw an immediate improvement with a record of 6-9-3, while his second season finished 13-4-3, with a school-record 11 shutouts to boot.

Parkinson announced his resignation from his post at Rogers State University on December 6th, citing he was moving onto a professional coaching position within the NWSL, although it wasn’t announced which team he’d be leaving for at the time.

As Harvey and the Royals continue to add to their staff, the accolades are piling up and anticipation is high as we inch closer to Utah’s inaugural NWSL season.