Sarkis "Sark" Arslanian (February 4, 1924 – December 11, 2016) was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Weber State College—now known as Weber State University—from 1965 to 1972 and Colorado State University from 1973 to 1981, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 95–73–6 (.563). Arslanian was also the head football coach at Dixie Junior College—now known as Utah Tech University—from 1955 to 1964.

Early life, military service, and playing career

Arslanian was born on February 4, 1924, in Fresno, California, to Kevork and Freida (Aposhian) Arslanian, immigrants from Armenia. He graduated in 1941 from Granite High School in South Salt Lake, Utah. Arslanian served in the United States Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, he attended Dixie Junior College, where received all-conference honors in football, basketball, and track and field before graduating in 1949.

Coaching career

Arslanian began his coaching career in 1952 at Central Junior High School in Salt Lake City. In 1954, he was the head football coach at Union High School in Roosevelt, Utah, leading his team to a record of 9–1–1 in his lone season there.

Beginning in 1955, Arslanian spent ten seasons as the head football coach at Dixie Junior College. His 1963 Dixie team went undefeated, and his 1964 team had a record of 9–1. Arslanian also served as the athletic director at Dixie.

In 1965, he was hired as the head football coach at Weber State College in the Big Sky Conference, where he coached through 1972 and was the winningest coach in school history. He left Weber State in 1973 for Colorado State University of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). His 1977 Colorado State Rams football team was one of the most successful in school history, finishing 9–2–1 and receiving votes in the final AP poll. Arslanian was fired six games into the 1981 season. The team defensive coordinator, Chester Caddas, was appointed interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

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.

Family, honors, and death

Arslanian's son, Dave Arslanian, was the head footoball coach 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. Arslanian died on December 11, 2016, at the age of 92.

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Weber State Wildcats (Big Sky Conference) (1965–1972)
1965Weber State8–13–1T–1st
1966Weber State6–32–23rd
1967Weber State6–42–2T–2nd
1968Weber State7–23–1T–1st
1969Weber State6–43–12nd
1970Weber State5–5–13–3T–3rd
1971Weber State7–2–13–2–14th
1972Weber State5–52–46th
Weber State:50–26–221–16–1
Colorado State Rams (Western Athletic Conference) (1973–1981)
1973Colorado State5–62–48th
1974Colorado State4–6–12–3–16th
1975Colorado State6–54–23rd
1976Colorado State6–52–47th
1977Colorado State9–2–15–23rd
1978Colorado State5–62–4T–5th
1979Colorado State4–7–13–4T–5th
1980Colorado State6–4–15–1–12nd
1981Colorado State0–60–3
Colorado State:45–47–425–27–2
Total:95–73–6
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

Junior college

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Dixie Rebels (Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference) (1955–1964)
1955Dixie1–4T–6th
1956Dixie7–16–0T–1st
1957Dixie2–2–13rd
1958Dixie4–4–13–1–12nd
1959Dixie4–53–1T–2nd
1960Dixie2–62–4T–5th
1961Dixie2–72–46th
1962Dixie6–42–34th
1963Dixie9–05–01st
1964Dixie9–14–01st
Dixie:30–19–2
Total:
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

External links