TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Add the name to the venerable list of prominent Armenian-American coaches who have made an imprint on the national scene.
He’s Mark Krikorian and he just coached Florida State University to its first-ever NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer championship.
Krikorian joins such iconic coaches as Jerry Tarkanian, who led the University of Nevada/Las Vegas to a national title in basketball in 1990. The Running Rebels that year defeated Duke in the finals, 103-73, representing the largest point difference in an NCAA final ever.
And let’s not forget Ara Parseghian, who won two national football titles with Notre Dame in 1966 and 1973 before turning to the announcer’s booth.
With Krikorian, make that one better than Parseghian, when you consider the two Division 2 national soccer crowns he secured in 1994 and 1995 while with Franklin Pierce College in rural Rindge, N.H., at the advent of his coaching career.
The title game was a 1-0 nail-biter against fourth-ranked University of Virginia. The Seminoles were ranked second in the polls going into that showdown.
It was not only the talk of the Florida State campus but the entire soccer scene in America. Krikorian is being hailed for such an achievement at a time when the Seminoles were blown away by Oregon, 59-20, in the Rose Bowl.
“I’m truly honored to be mentioned in the same breath as Tarkanian and Parseghian,” he said. “They are great leaders of their respective sports and did it their way. It’s great to follow in their footsteps. Women’s soccer is on the rise.”
Comparatively speaking, there’s no way women’s soccer is being upstaged by men’s sports at FSU, Krikorian feels. And he likes to think that perhaps he’s played a role in that perception.
The 54-year-old mentor was born and raised in Malden, Mass., and graduated from St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H., prior to graduating from Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., where he starred in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse.
“Being from New Hampshire is essential to who I am today,” he confirms. “I learned an awful lot from my high school coaches. A lot of my success at FSU is tied to my direct roots in New Hampshire.”
He’s been inducted into the Saint Anselm’s Athletic Club Hall of Fame as a former two-time captain and team Most Valuable Player, as well as an All-New England First-Team selection. He helped guide the college to a share of the Northeast-8 championship his senior year.
“By winning the national championship at Florida State, Mark is as good a coach as anyone in the country,” says his former coach Ed Cannon. “He has been one of the best coaches in America at any level.”
Krikorian started coaching soccer in 1990 and the Seminoles are his fifth team. In 2004, he piloted the United States Women’s Under-19 team prior to joining FSU.
He led that 2004 team to a world championship in Thailand. With 10 years of Top Ten finishes, it’s as close to a dynasty as you’ll ever find in his sport.
“I appreciate the support from my family and being at FSU where they value excellence as much as I do,” Krikorian adds. “My Armenian heritage taught me a great work ethic and family mentality.”
Krikorian and his wife Linda are parents to two children, Allie, 14, and Michael, 12. They live in Tallahassee not far from the school and remain bullish toward campus activity.
As far as women’s sports are concerned, he sees an open window of opportunity.
“The best opportunity to coach at the college level was on the women’s side,” he notes. “That’s why I got into it. I hope to be here until I retire.”
***
PERSONAL FAVORITES
Armenian coaches: Jerry Tarkanian and Ara Parseghian
American coach: Bobby Bowden (retired FSU football coach)
Athlete: Larry Bird
TV show: “NCIS”
Movie: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Screen star: Jack Nicholson
Hobby: Reading
Singer: Whitney Houston
Vacation spot: Maine
Pet peeve: Apathy
Book: Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Proudest accomplishment: Birth of my children and three national championships
Something that may surprise others: I was previously a high school teacher.
Quote: “Seek first to understand, then be understood” by Stephen Covey
Tom Vartabedian
Latest posts by Tom Vartabedian (see all)
- Vartabedian: My Final Column - November 13, 2016
- A Hat to Match Any Occasion - October 19, 2016
- More Smiles Keep the Frowns Away - October 12, 2016
Be the first to comment