SANDPOINT — A coach who helped launch championship volleyball at Sandpoint High School will be honored this summer among the finest athletes and coaches in Big Sky Conference history. Pam Parks, who served as the second volleyball coach in Bulldogs program history, has been named to the 2026 Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame class alongside seven other distinguished honorees.
Parks guided the Sandpoint High volleyball program from 1979 to 1981, a tenure that included the school’s first state championship and a runner-up finish at the state tournament. She went on to build a lengthy and distinguished career as both a coach and administrator at Eastern Washington University, where her contributions to Big Sky athletics ultimately earned her this recognition.
The eight-member 2026 class represents seven different institutions and includes two College Football Hall of Famers. The full class, listed alphabetically, includes Dennis Erickson (Idaho and Montana State, football player and head coach), Frank Hawkins (Nevada, football), Eric Heins (Northern Arizona, cross country and track and field coach), Amber Henry (Weber State, cross country and track and field), Parks (Eastern Washington, volleyball), Michael Ray Richardson (Montana, men’s basketball), Jackie Ross Mattox (Idaho, track and field), and Willie Sojourner (Weber State, men’s basketball).
North Idaho’s Own Dennis Erickson Also Honored
Among the headliners of the 2026 class is Dennis Erickson, who now lives in retirement in Coeur d’Alene. Erickson has deep roots in Big Sky football — he played quarterback at Montana State from 1966 to 1968, earning First Team All-Big Sky honors in both 1967 and 1968 and a 1968 All-American honorable mention. He led the Bobcats to three consecutive Big Sky titles during his playing career.
Erickson later returned to the conference as head coach of the Idaho Vandals beginning in 1982, where he departed as the program’s all-time wins leader after claiming two Big Sky titles and making two playoff appearances. His coaching career eventually took him to some of college football’s biggest stages, including two national championships at the University of Miami in 1989 and 1991. He also held head coaching positions at Wyoming, Washington State, Oregon State, and Arizona State, and served as head coach of both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. Erickson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019 after finishing his collegiate coaching career with a 179-96-1 record.
Also notable in the 2026 class is Frank Hawkins of Nevada, who becomes the first athlete from a non-current Big Sky member institution to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Hawkins was a two-time First Team All-Big Sky selection and finished as the NCAA’s third all-time leading rusher with 5,333 career yards. He later won a Super Bowl championship with the Oakland Raiders and made history in 1991 when he became the first African-American elected to public office in Las Vegas history.
Induction Set for July in Airway Heights
The official induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, beginning at 6:30 p.m. PDT at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. The event is part of the Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend. Tickets are priced at $85 per person, plus applicable fees, and include admission to the gala, a commemorative poster, and a meal with multiple options available. The event has sold out in each of the past three years. Tickets and meal selection details can be accessed through the Big Sky Conference’s official website.
Thursday’s announcement marks the fifth induction class in the Big Sky Hall of Fame’s brief but growing history. The Hall, which held its inaugural induction ceremony in 2022, now counts 54 total members across its storied legacy. The Big Sky Conference has operated since 1963 and has included 16 full-time member institutions over its history.
For Sandpoint and Bonner County, Parks’ selection is a point of local pride — a reminder that the region has long produced coaches and educators whose influence reaches far beyond North Idaho’s borders. Her early work with the Bulldogs laid a foundation that the Sandpoint volleyball program continues to build on today. Local community members interested in celebrating the area’s athletic legacy can also find upcoming events at Sandpoint High’s Grad Night fundraising effort, which highlights the ongoing spirit of Bulldogs school pride heading into summer.
What Comes Next
The 2026 Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame induction gala takes place July 25 at Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. Tickets remain available through the Big Sky Conference’s official website at BigSkyConf.com/HOF while supplies last. The ceremony kicks off Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend, which brings together coaches, athletes, and fans from across the conference ahead of the fall football season.