Edward Goorjian (September 26, 1926 – December 11, 2022) was an American

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

coach. He served as the head coach of the Loyola Marymount Lions men's team from 1980 to 1985.

Early life

Goorjian was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, on September 26, 1926 to Armenian parents who had survived the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

. He played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

as a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

Los Angeles High School Los Angeles High School is the oldest Public education#United States, public high school in the Southern California, Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are royal blue and white and the teams are ...

and was selected to the All-Los Angeles City High School Third Team by the

Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his ownership ...

in 1945. He played college basketball for

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campus ...

Coaching career

Goorjian became the inaugural head coach of the boys' basketball team at

Crescenta Valley High School Crescenta Valley High School is a high school in La Crescenta, California. Around 2500 students attend the school, which serves North Glendale, unincorporated La Crescenta and Montrose, as well as a municipal neighborhood on the western boundary o ...

in 1960. He served as coach for eighteen seasons and won seven league championships. Goorjian accumulated a 328–103 record from 1962 to 1978. His three sons –

Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meani ...

, Kevin and Greg – played for him on the team. His 1970–71 team that accumulated a 29–1 record is considered the greatest basketball team in the school's history and was inducted into the Crescenta Valley Hall of Fame in 2013. Goorjian left Crescenta Valley to coach at Glendale Community College for one season. He served as an assistant coach for the

Loyola Marymount Lions The Loyola Marymount Lions are the athletic teams that represent Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit institution in Los Angeles, California. The school competes in NCAA Division I and the West Coast Conference. Sports sponsored Baseball ...

during the 1979–80 season before he was appointed head coach in 1980. He coached his son Greg on the team during the 1982–83 season when he transferred from the

UNLV Runnin' Rebels The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are the men's basketball team that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Mountain West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); it plays at the Thomas & Mack Center on campus. As ...

. Goorjian's teams struggled and he was dismissed as the Lions' head coach in 1985. Goorjian served as an assistant coach for George McQuarn with the

Cal State Fullerton Titans The Cal State Fullerton Titans (also known as CSUF or Fullerton Titans) are the athletic teams that represent California State University, Fullerton. The Titans are a member of the NCAA Division I level. The Titans compete within the Big West C ...

and was then hired by the Saudi Arabian royal family to coach the country's top club team. He served as an assistant coach for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in 1992. Goorjian retired from coaching in 1993. Goorjian was inducted into the CIF Southern Section Hall of Fame in 2015.

Death

Goorjian died in Los Angeles on December 11, 2022, at the age of 96.

References

External links

College coaching record
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goorjian, Ed 1926 births 2022 deaths American expatriate basketball people in Saudi Arabia American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players American people of Armenian descent Basketball players from Los Angeles Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball coaches Guards (basketball) High school basketball coaches in California Los Angeles City Cubs men's basketball players Los Angeles High School alumni Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball coaches UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball coaches