The Clarkson players were equally appreciative of Parker’s efforts.

“This whole team really respects Fred Parker,” captain Kevin O’Flaherty told USCHO.com after the season-ending loss. “Sometimes it seems like Fred didn’t get a fair shake. I appreciate what Fred has done. He’s taught me a lot as a player and as a person.”

But perhaps the most telling indication of Parker’s performance has been the reaction of other ECAC coaches to the way he handled himself.

“I give him tremendous kudos for the job he did,” said Union coach Kevin Sneddon ’92. “He was in an extremely difficult situation, and we’ve got to take our hats off to him. He deserves a lot of credit, and I think he has the mutual respect of every coach in this league. He is a class act and very professional, and the way his players responded to him just shows how much respect they have for him.

“Things will work out for him one way or another, whether it be at Clarkson or some other program,” Sneddon said.

That should be sorted out soon.

Clarkson public relations official Anne M. Sibley said Monday that a decision as to Morris’ permanent replacement should come within the next two weeks but declined to give names of candidates under consideration.

However, reports over the weekend indicated that the university has already whittled the field down to four—all former Clarkson assistants—including former Harvard and current Boston College assistant Ron Rolston.

The report indicated that Parker is not a candidate.

When asked about his future at Clarkson, Parker said, “I don’t know what’s going to go on, to be honest. All I know is that it’s 11:45, and in 15 minutes I’m going to go to lunch. Then I’ll come back in a hour, work for the rest of the afternoon, and go home.

“We’ll see where it goes from there.”

—Staff writer Jon P. Morosi can be reached at morosi@fas.harvard.edu.