The Scot was sacked last week after a disappointing start to the League One campaign.
Parkinson arrives with vast experience in the third tier of English football and has three promotion-winning seasons on his CV.
Here, we take a look at which games the 51-year-old Chorley-born boss will need to win if he is to be successful at Sunderland this season.
Scroll down and click through the pages to view the 10 games Parkinson MUST win.
Here, we take a look at which games the 51-year-old Chorley-born boss will need to win if he is to be successful at Sunderland this season.