Grandville, MI – Brian Parsons, athletic administrator at Grandville High School, has been named Region IV Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) for the 2023-24 school year.
Parsons is the athletic director at Grandville High School, a school he has served at for the last 20 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and completed his master’s degree from Grand Valley State University. Brian started off his teaching career at East Grand Rapids Middle School before working in the Grandville school system. Since moving to Grandville High School, Brian has grown the athletic program to 28 varsity programs, including unique sports such as boys and girls rugby, boys volleyball, powerlifting and, most recently, eSports.
Parsons has been a leader in the athletic administration world where he has been an active member in the MHSAA, MIAAA and NIAAA. Brian has worked on a number of MHSAA committees and has been an MIAAA presenter at the annual conference. Brian has worked closely with the MHSAA Hockey Committee, the MHSAA Boys Lacrosse Committee and the MHSAA Officials committee.
Grandville High School Superintendent Roger Bearup writes, “Brian is an outstanding human being. He is the perfect role model for kids, coaches, parents and community members. He has created a ‘Grandville Way’ to doing things in our athletic department that is filled with good sportsmanship, grit and a pursuit of excellence in all that we do.”
John Philo, assistant superintendent of Grandville Public Schools, commented that “Brian’s greatest gift is his ability to understand who each person is, what they need, and make them feel valued.”
According to Adam Lancto, principal at Grandville High School, “Brian has created a culture within the Grandville Athletics Department that demands collaboration between coaches and the highest level of sportsmanship. There is not enough that can be said about how Brian has changed the culture of athletics at Grandville Public Schools for the better in the last 10 years.”
The MIAAA is a 50+ year old association with nearly 700 members serving as athletic administrators in numerous high schools and junior high/middle schools in Michigan. As partners with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the MIAAA works to promote the educational value of interscholastic athletics and the role and profession of athletic director.