UNF Ospreys baseball coach Tim Parenton steps down after six seasons due to health reasons
University of North Florida baseball coach Tim Parenton has stepped down after six years because of health reasons, according to a UNF press release.
Parenton, a New Orleans native who led Mississippi State to two bowl games as the Bulldogs’ quarterback and was also a standout infielder for the MSU baseball team, compiled a 136-148 record (.479) and was 57-64 in the ASUN (.471).
Prior to returning to UNF to coach the Ospreys, he had served as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, Old Dominion, Florida and UNF, and was the head coach at Samford. He also managed short-season minor league baseball in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
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According to the UNF release, Parenton will have the option to move into an administrative position at the university “as he continues to focus on his health.”
Parenton, 61, has battled throat cancer since 2019 and has been undergoing treatment this season. He had no immediate comment.
“It’s something a lot of people have to deal with head-on in life,” Parenton told the Times-Union's Gene Frenette of his latest battle with cancer on May 16. “You’re going to have adversity. You just do your best to overcome it. I’m still throwing batting practice and hitting fungos. Keep on living my life.”
Jacksonville University coach Chris Hayes said he will miss the River City Rumble rivalry against Parenton's teams.
"I'll never forget the competition we had," Hayes said. "Tim is a fierce competitor but he's as genuine a person as there is on the planet. You always knew they were going to play hard and Tim is a guy you enjoy competing with because he will do it respectfully and at the end of the day you shake hands and know we you a good fight. We wish him all the best."
Parenton's UNF teams went 14-11 against the Dolphins.
"We want to thank coach Parenton for all of his hard work, commitment and service to our program over the past six years," UNF director of athletics Nick Morrow said in a statement. "We have the utmost respect for coach Parenton at North Florida and believe this is the best decision for coach Parenton and our program as we continue to build on a tradition of success for UNF baseball."
While the Ospreys did not win an ASUN title and had only seasons above .500 during Parenton’s tenure, they produced two ASUN Scholar-Athletes of the Year, a Senior Class Award finalist, one ASUN Player of the Year, one ASUN Pitcher of the Year, two All-Americans, two all-region picks and 17 all-conference players.
UNF beat nine Power Five teams and four ranked teams under Parenton, beating FSU twice, Florida, Ohio State, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina. Four Parenton-coached players were drafted, Austin Drury, Frank German, Tanner Murphy and Brad Deppermann.
The Ospreys were 28-27 this season but were swept by Jacksonville in the final regular-season series, denying them a spot in the ASUN tournament. UNF set program Division 1 records for home runs (74) and stolen bases (75).
The school said a coaching search has begun.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: North Florida baseball coach Tim Parenton steps down after six seasons
