Sarkis "Sark" Arslanian (February 4, 1924 – December 11, 2016) was an American college football coach. He served as the head coach at Weber State College from 1965 to 1972 and at Colorado State University from 1973 to 1981, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 95–73–6 (.563).
Coaching career
Beginning in 1955, Arslanian spent ten seasons as the football coach at Dixie Junior College. In 1965, he assumed the same position at Weber State College in the Big Sky Conference, where he coached through 1972 and was the winningest coach in school history. He left for Colorado State University in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC); his 1977 CSU team was one of the most successful in school history, finishing 9–2–1 and receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 20 rankings. He stayed at Colorado State until October 1981.[1][2]
After a long and successful career as a football coach at the collegiate and professional levels, he helped establish a winning tradition at Pine View High School in St. George, Utah. After a bypass surgery, he resigned as head coach of Pine View and began coaching eighth graders at Pine View Middle School. As of 2007, Arslanian was the oldest active football coach in the United States. An Armenian-American, Arslanian once traveled to Armenia to establish an American football league in his ancestral country.
Personal
Born in Fresno, California, Arslanian served in the U.S. Army during World War II. His son is Dave Arslanian, who later coached at Weber State from 1989 to 1997, assisted by his brother Paul Arslanian. On September 14, 2013, the field at Hansen Stadium on the campus of Dixie State University was named Sark Arslanian Field. He died on December 11, 2016, at the age of 92.[3]
Head coaching record
College
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber State Wildcats (Big Sky Conference) (1965–1972) | |||||||||
| 1965 | Weber State | 8–1 | 3–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1966 | Weber State | 6–3 | 2–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1967 | Weber State | 6–4 | 2–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Weber State | 7–2 | 3–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1969 | Weber State | 6–4 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1970 | Weber State | 5–5–1 | 3–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1971 | Weber State | 7–2–1 | 3–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1972 | Weber State | 5–5 | 2–4 | 6th | |||||
| Weber State: | 50–26–2 | 21–16–1 | |||||||
| Colorado State Rams (Western Athletic Conference) (1973–1981) | |||||||||
| 1973 | Colorado State | 5–6 | 2–4 | 8th | |||||
| 1974 | Colorado State | 4–6–1 | 2–3–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1975 | Colorado State | 6–5 | 4–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1976 | Colorado State | 6–5 | 2–4 | 7th | |||||
| 1977 | Colorado State | 9–2–1 | 5–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1978 | Colorado State | 5–6 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1979 | Colorado State | 4–7–1 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1980 | Colorado State | 6–4–1 | 5–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1981 | Colorado State | 0–6 | 0–3 | ||||||
| Colorado State: | 45–47–4 | 25–27–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 95–73–6 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- ^ "Colorado State's Arslanian fired after six defeats". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 21, 1981. p. 2C.
- ^ "Former Colorado State head football coach Sark Arslanian has passed away". Colorado State University. December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ^ Brohard, Mike. Former Colorado State football coach Sark Arslanian passes away at 92. Reporter-Herald. December 11, 2016.