| Adam Krikorian | |
|---|---|
| Sport(s) | Water polo |
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | UCLA |
| Conference | MPSF |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's Water Polo | ||
| Competitor for the United States | ||
| FINA World Cup | ||
| Gold | 2010 New Zealand | Team Competition |
Adam Krikorian (born July 22, 1974) is the water polo head coach for UCLA. He has won 14 national championships as player, assistant coach and head coach. And on March 27, 2009, he was named the head coach of the USA Women’s National Team. He will continue his role as the UCLA men's water polo team head coach.[1]
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Krikorian, a water polo and swimming standout, attended Mountain View High School before playing college water polo at UCLA. During his senior year at high school, he scored 113 goals and was named honorable mention All-America. He helped his team to a National Junior Olympic championship.
He led UCLA to its first NCAA Championship in 23 years (1995). While at UCLA, Krikorian scored 76 goals and was a four-year letterwinner (1992–1995). He was named to the second-team All-America and All-MPSF honoree in 1995. He was the captain of the UCLA team in 1994 and 1995.
Krikorian became an assistant coach for the UCLA men’s water polo team in 1996 and then also the women’s water polo team in 1997. During his coaching career, his teams have won 14 national championships, 10 as a head coach, 3 as an assistant coach. He was awarded the 2004 national men’s water polo coach of the year and the 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007 national women’s water polo coach of the year.
The 2007 women's title was UCLA's 100th NCAA championship, the first school in history to achieve the milestone. The 2008 women's team has a perfect 33-0 season, including the three games at the MPSF Championship and the three at the NCAA Championship. #1 ranked UCLA beat #3 USC 6-3 for the 2008 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship on May 11.
He is tied for first among active men’s water polo coaches in NCAA championships won, has led both teams to national titles in the same season 3 times (’99-’00, ’00-’01, ’04-’05). As men’s head coach, he has coached 25 All-America selections.
Krikorian has coached five Peter J. Cutino Award winners: Sean Kern (2000 and 2001), Coralie Simmons (2001), Natalie Golda (2005), Kelly Rulon (2007), and Courtney Mathewson (2008). The award is given to the outstanding female and male collegiate water polo players each year.[2] For the 2007-2008 season, he has captured the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year honor for the fifth time as UCLA's head women's water polo coach, given by the Association of College Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). "Krikorian led the UCLA women's water polo program to its 10th national championship - the seventh national title (sixth NCAA title) in his 10-year tenure as head coach. UCLA registered its second undefeated season in the last four years, posting a 33-0 overall record and perfect 12-0 MPSF mark. Four of Krikorian's student-athletes have earned ACWPC Player of the Year honors five times," according to the UCLA Athletic Department.
In 2009, Krikorian Was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season and sixth time overall by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).
As the head coach of the USA Women's Water Polo Team, Krikorian coached his team to the gold medal at the World Championships in Rome, Italy on July 31, 2009, defeating Canada, 6-5.
In October 2011, Adam led the team to the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
| Year | Champions | Position | Winner | Loser | Records (Overall/Conf.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | NCAA Champions | Student-athlete | UCLA Men's Water Polo | Cal | 20-6/8-0 |
| 1996 | NCAA Champions | Asst. Coach | UCLA Men's Water Polo | USC | 24-6/6-2 |
| 1997 | National Champions | Asst. Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | Cal | 31-1/6-0 |
| 1998 | National Champions | Asst. Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | Cal | 35-1/9-0 |
| 1999 | National Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Men's Water Polo | Stanford | 22-3/8-0 |
| 2000 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Men's Water Polo | UCSD | 19-7/6-2 |
| 2000 | National Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | USC | 30-5/8-1 |
| 2001 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | Stanford | 18-4/9-1 |
| 2003 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | Stanford | 24-4/8-2 |
| 2004 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Men's Water Polo | Stanford | 25-3/8-0 |
| 2005 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | Stanford | 33-0/12-0 |
| 2006 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | USC | 29-4/11-1 |
| 2007 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | Stanford | 28-2/11-1 |
| 2008 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | USC | 33-0/12-0 |
| 2009 | NCAA Champions | Head Coach | UCLA Women's Water Polo | USC | 25-6/9-3[3] |