Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Building to be Unveiled Saturday, Oct. 17
9/29/2015 3:39:00 PM | General, Athletic Foundation
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern University athletics' administration and women's coaching staff is receiving a much-needed upgrade to their office areas, thanks to Wanda and Dan Parrish, Jr., who have been longtime supporters of the athletics program.
In 1999, The Parrishes made a major gift to Georgia Southern Athletics honoring Dan's father in support of Georgia Southern's football program. Located near Hanner Fieldhouse off of Fair Road, the Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Football Center housed football coaching staff offices and meeting rooms.
However, with the expansion of the football stadium in 2014, football operations moved from the Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Football Center to the new Ted Smith Family Football Center adjacent to Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Erk Russell Athletic Park.
Wanda and Dan Parrish provided yet another gift to renovate and rename the Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Football Center in 2015.
On Saturday, Oct 17 at 1 p.m., Georgia Southern University will cut the ribbons and open the doors to the public for what is now known as the Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Building. Following a brief ceremony, tours of the renovated facility will be available.
Athletic operations housed in the Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Building include senior athletic administrators, marketing, media relations, external operations and coaching staffs for women's basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field/cross country and volleyball.
"The Dan J. Parrish, Sr. Building renovations will make the athletic department more visible to the public while providing coaches and staff an appropriate Division I level working environment for day-to-day operations. This new space would not be possible without the gift from Wanda and Dan Parrish. To honor their continued commitment to Georgia Southern athletics, the building will feature the Wanda and Dan Parrish, Jr. Hall of Of Honor. We are thankful for their gift and the impact it will have across women's sports and the entire Athletic Department." said athletic director Tom Kleinlein.
The Wanda and Dan Parrish, Jr. Hall of Honor will highlight student-athlete successes - both athletic and academic.
Wanda and Dan Parrish's service to the athletics program is multifaceted.
Dan served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Southern Boosters from 1994 to 1999, and was recognized in 1999 by the Georgia Southern Alumni Association as a Friend of Georgia Southern and in 2004 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Southern Conference.
Wanda began serving on the Athletic Foundation's Board of Directors in 2003, and was named to the Executive Committee in 2006. In 2009, she was elected as the first woman to chair the Foundation and remains an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.
Wanda and Dan also joined the Transition 20, a group of visionaries who, in 2013, led Eagle Nation to help fund the transition to the FBS football era and are currently Platinum Eagle members of the Athletic Foundation's annual scholarship fund known as the Eagle Fund.
