SANDY, Utah (Monday, December 11, 2017) – Utah Royals FC Head Coach Laura Harvey announced Monday that Scott Parkinson has been hired as an assistant coach and will join the club’s NWSL coaching staff for the 2018 season. Parkinson recently completed his second season as Head Coach at Rogers State University in Oklahoma, where he earned Heartland Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2017.



“I have known Scott for a number of years, we met on a coaching license course in the U.S. Since completingthe course, we have always kept in touch and I have followed his career closely,” said Harvey, who will reside full-time in Utah beginning on January 3 in preparation for the Royals’ inaugural season. “Scott sees the game in a similar way to me, he is knowledgeable about the women’s game, and knows what I’m looking for in teams I coach. He is a hard worker who will give everything to make this Club the best it can be and I’m excited to have Scott on our staff.”

Parkinson served as the head coach of the RSU women's soccer program for two years, leading the Hillcats to a 13-4-3 record this season, with a runner-up finish in the Heartland Conference Tournament. In a record-breaking 2017 campaign, RSU conceded the fewest goals in a season in RSU history with only 12 allowed, as the team amassed a school-record 11 shutouts. Parkinson finished his Rogers State tenure with a 19-13-6 record across two seasons.



“I think when Laura Harvey calls you and makes you a job offer to work alongside her, it’s something that anybody in the game would not turn down,” said Parkinson. “Seeing the excitement from Dell Loy Hansen and Craig Waibel and the growth of Real Salt Lake, this represents a dream opportunity for me. It was a no-brainer; it’s absolutely brilliant. I cannot wait to get started.”



A native of Liverpool, England, Parkinson was an assistant coach in the Rogers State men’s soccer program for two seasons before turning the women’s program around. In addition, he was an assistant for the men's team at Oklahoma Wesleyan University and served as the Director of Soccer Operations for Oklahoma City FC.



Parkinson played collegiate soccer at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma where he was the program's first-ever First-Team NAIA and NSCAA All-American in 2012, following a third-team selection in 2011. He was team captain for the Drovers and a two-time Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Parkinson served as team captain for Oklahoma City FC during its inaugural season in the Premier Development League in 2013.



Royals FC begins its inaugural NWSL season in the Spring of 2018, playing home matches at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Inaugural Utah Royals FC season tickets are now available to the general public, which can reserve their place in the queue by quickly filling out the form at www.RSL.com/NWSL .