Parisi steps down at Dundee-Crown

Dundee-Crown baseball coach Tommy Parisi resigned from that position Wednesday after one season on the job, citing the need to spend more time on his continuing education.

Parisi, who will remain a physical education teacher at the school, told his players of the decision following Dundee-Crown’s 12-2, five-inning loss to top seed Crystal Lake South in a semifinal of the Class 4A Huntley regional.

“The reality of it is that I need to get myself in a position professionally to better myself as far as going back to school for my Master’s,” Parisi said Thursday. “I want to get my Master’s in special education, and I’d like to be an administrator someday. The time it takes to be a varsity coach is going to prohibit me from being able to advance myself in the classroom. It’s also going to prohibit my ability to start a family of my own. I can’t do both.”

The Chargers finished 9-21-1 overall and placed last in the seven-team Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference (5-14).

“It had nothing to do with the season,” Parisi said of his decision. “It was difficult. I wasn’t given the easiest road from a parent perspective. I kind of had a target on my back from the get go because of my age (25) and because they were sorry to see (former D-C coach) Jon (Sawyer) leave. I had to battle against that, but I gave the kids my best every day.

“I would love to still continue to do it, but there are priorities in life. It’s unfair to my career to stay in my current position in the classroom because of baseball, and it’s not fair to baseball to not give it everything I can because I’m trying to grow professionally.”

Dundee-Crown athletic director Dick Storm could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.