Sasho Cirovski
Encyclopedia
Sasho Cirovski is a Yugoslavian-American soccer coach, raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, who led his University of Maryland
team to the NCAA
championship in 2005 and 2008.
, he grew up in Vratnica
, a small village in presentday Macedonia. Cirovski immigrated to Canada
at the age of eight and became an outstanding all-around athlete in Ontario schools. A stand-out college soccer player for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee he was selected the school's outstanding athlete upon his graduation in 1985. He earned a masters degree there in 1989. He played for the Milwaukee Wave
of the American Indoor Soccer Association during the 1986-1987 season and later played and coached the North York Rockets
. His subsequent coaching career included stints at both his alma mater and at the University of Hartford
, where he led his team to two consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.
began a remarkable streak of four consecutive appearances in the NCAA College Cup, the final four of American college soccer. In 2005, they captured the national title with a 1-0 win over top-ranked University of New Mexico
. In 2008 he led the Terps to an ACC championship win over Virginia, the team's first since 2002, and also guided his team to the 2008 National Championship over North Carolina by a score of 1-0 in Frisco Texas.
, herself a former soccer All-American and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
, and their three daughters.
A young Cirovski can be seen performing his soccer skills in the 1987 ESPN
Home Video, "Teaching Kids Soccer with Bob Gansler
."
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
team to the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championship in 2005 and 2008.
Early life and career
Born in YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, he grew up in Vratnica
Vratnica
Vratnica is a small village and community located in the Jegunovce Municipality of Macedonia. Vratnica lies in the north-west, and is 22km away from the city of Tetovo and 5km away from Jazince --the border crossing point with Serbia...
, a small village in presentday Macedonia. Cirovski immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the age of eight and became an outstanding all-around athlete in Ontario schools. A stand-out college soccer player for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee he was selected the school's outstanding athlete upon his graduation in 1985. He earned a masters degree there in 1989. He played for the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the American Indoor Soccer Association during the 1986-1987 season and later played and coached the North York Rockets
North York Rockets
The North York Rockets were a professional soccer team that competed in the original Canadian Soccer League during its existence from 1987 to 1992...
. His subsequent coaching career included stints at both his alma mater and at the University of Hartford
University of Hartford
The University of Hartford is a private, independent, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in West Hartford, Connecticut. The degree programs at the University of Hartford hold the highest levels of accreditation available in the US, including the Engineering Accreditation Commission of...
, where he led his team to two consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.
Cirovski at Maryland
In February 1993 Cirovski was recruited by then Assistant Athletic Director Gothard Lane to come to the University of Maryland, College Park, where the soccer program had enjoyed limited success for years. Upon his arrival in College Park, Cirovski startled the local soccer community when he announced that his goal was to "win the national championship." Starting with holdover players and two transfer students from Hartford who came to join their charismatic coach, his teams began to turn out winning records within two years. In 2002, the TerrapinsMaryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
began a remarkable streak of four consecutive appearances in the NCAA College Cup, the final four of American college soccer. In 2005, they captured the national title with a 1-0 win over top-ranked University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
. In 2008 he led the Terps to an ACC championship win over Virginia, the team's first since 2002, and also guided his team to the 2008 National Championship over North Carolina by a score of 1-0 in Frisco Texas.
Personal information
A vocal and demonstrative coach, Cirovski cultivated a "family" atmosphere on his close-knit teams. He also earned the respect of his colleagues, who selected him as the chairman of the national collegiate coaches association in 2004, and the national coach of the year in 2005. He lived in the Maryland suburbs with his wife Shannon Higgins-CirovskiShannon Higgins-Cirovski
Shannon Higgins-Cirovski was a U.S. soccer midfielder who Higgins earned fifty-one caps with the United States between 1987 and 1991. She was a member of the U.S. team at the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-High school and college:Higgins grew up...
, herself a former soccer All-American and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
, and their three daughters.
A young Cirovski can be seen performing his soccer skills in the 1987 ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Home Video, "Teaching Kids Soccer with Bob Gansler
Bob Gansler
Bob Gansler is a Hungarian-born American soccer player and coach of German descent. He coached the US National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950....
."