GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University assistant women's soccer coach Chelsea Parker has been hired as the head women's soccer coach at Francis Marion University.

Parker spent the last two seasons at Tusculum under longtime head coach Mike Joy, and will take over a Patriots program that finished 8-8-1 overall and 4-7-0 in the Peach Belt Conference in 2019.

"I want to thank Mike Joy and the Tusculum women's soccer team for allowing me to be a part of their journey," said Parker. "I am leaving Tusculum a better person and coach."

During her tenure at Tusculum, she also served as head coach of the Pioneer reserve team and was goalkeeper coach for the Asheville City Soccer Club of the Women's Professional Soccer League.

"I am very excited for Chelsea and very proud to have another assistant coach have an opportunity to become a head coach," said Joy, who has logged 276 wins in 23 seasons at Tusculum and 362 victories in 28 years of collegiate coaching. "While she will be missed by the entire team and myself, we all know that she is more than ready to have an opportunity to lead her own program. We all wish her the very best."

Parker began at Tusculum in August, 2018 after serving as the assistant director of coaching for the James Island Soccer Club in Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to that, Parker was the assistant coach for goalkeepers at Lees-McRae College for two years, mentoring 2017 Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year Alexis Feely.

Parker played her collegiate soccer at Mars Hill University, where she was second-team All-South Atlantic Conference in 2011 after compiling a 1.45 goals against average and three shutouts. Parker was a two-year team captain and a four-year letterwinner with the Lions, before graduating in 2013 with a degree in history with a double minor in English and women's studies.

After graduating from Mars Hill, Parker was a graduate assistant and goalkeeper coach at Shorter University before earning her Master of Arts degree in leadership in 2014.