Former Colorado State head football coach Sark Arslanian has died at the age of 92 in his home in St. George, Utah, the University announced in a statement.
Arslanian, who coached at Colorado State form 1973-1981, compiled a 45-47-4 record in his eight-and-a-half years as head coach. In 1977 he led the team to a 9-2-1 record and a narrow miss at the Western Athletic Conference title.
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“We mourn the passing of Sark Arslanian and offer our sincere condolences to his family,” CSU athletic director Joe Parker said in a statement. “He was a loyal Ram who served our institution admirably as head football coach and authored one of the most successful seasons in school history in 1977.”
Arslanian led Colorado State to victories over Wyoming five times during his tenure and received AP top-25 votes in the 1977 season. His coaching career at Colorado State was ended Oct. 20, 1981 after a 6-4-1 record the year before.
“I am saddened, but I am also reminded of Coach’s passion for football, life, friends and family,” CSU director of football operations Tom Ehlers said in a statement. “He was always kind to me, and so happy to talk about all the players and games from his time here. He changed my life by bringing me to Colorado State in 1980, and he changed the lives of many others throughout the years. He was such a great coach and an even better person.”
Before coming to Colorado State, Arslanian was the head coach at Weber State from 1965-1972. Arslanian became a member of the Weber State Athletics Hall of Fame after boasting a 50-26-2 record. He is also a member of the Dixie State Athletic hall of Fame, the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, the Pop Warner National hall of Fame and the All American Football Foundation honor roll.
Collegian sports editor Chad Deutschman can be reached by email at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @ChadDeutschman
