Basketball (1950's); Baseball Coach (1965-80); Athletics Director (1967-2004)
Dr. Don Parham will go into the record book as the man who put Savage baseball on the national map.
Born April 3, 1930 at Atoka, Oklahoma, Parham attended Atoka High School and Eastern State College before enrolling at Southeastern where he played basketball for Hall of Fame coach Bloomer Sullivan. Following graduate school and three years at Southern Arkansas University, Parham returned to his alma mater in 1959. He accepted the baseball coaching position on an interim basis in 1965 and that has turned into one of the amazing success stories in collegiate coaching.
It was a rags to riches story as the Savages turned from the door mat of Oklahoma college baseball to a national power. “Doc’s” Savages never experienced a losing season. Over his sixteen year career there were 536 wins and only 162 losses. Nine conference championships, seven NAIA District 9 championships, and three NAIA Area 3 titles were added to the university trophy case.
Victims of Savage wins over the years were Oklahoma University, Oklahoma State University, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa University, Michigan State University, Indiana University, Virginia Tech, Arkansas University, and Pan American University.
Doc’s Savages reached the NAIA National Tournament three times. The 1977 season was a dream season with a 56-8 record. The Savages won the prestigious Pan American Citrus Tournament and championships in conference, district, and area competition. The pitching staff posted 26 shutouts. The powerful Savages were finally stopped in the finals of the NAIA National Tournament, losing 2-1 to David Lipscomb College.
Thirteen NAIA All-Americans and eighteen professional signees played for Parham. The team was consistently ranked first or second nationally by the NAIA during his last four coaching years.
Parham’s record as baseball coach, director of athletics, and chairman of the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, has served the university well. Southeastern honored Dr. Don Parham with induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame on February 11, 1984.
