Sasho Cirovski (born 14 October 1962) is a Macedonian-Canadian soccer coach of the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

. Born in Macedonia and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Cirovski led his

team to the

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championship in 2005, 2008, and 2018.

Early life and career

Born in Macedonia, he grew up in Vratnica, a small village. Cirovski immigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

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 The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscon ...

he was selected the school's outstanding athlete upon his graduation in 1985. He earned a master's degree there in 1989. He played for the

Milwaukee Wave The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, m ...

of the

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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 The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

, 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

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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 The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

. 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

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. In October 2017, Cirovski achieved his 400th win in Division I versus the

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, becoming the ninth Division I coach to achieve the feat. In 2018, the Terrapins won their third national title under Cirovski with a 1–0 win over the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...

, not allowing a goal in any game of the NCAA Tournament.

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-Cirovski, herself a former soccer All-American and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and their three daughters.THE WINNINGEST COACH IN MARYLAND SOCCER HISTORY (Profile)
– UM Terps A young Cirovski can be seen performing his soccer skills in the 1987

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Home Video, "Teaching Kids Soccer with

Bob Gansler Bob Gansler (born July 1, 1941) is a Hungarian-born American soccer player and coach of German descent. He coached the U.S. National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950. Playing career As a pl ...

References

External links

Game Plan: First Find The Leaders

Maryland bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cirovski, Sasho 1962 births Living people People from Jegunovce Municipality Canadian soccer coaches Canadian soccer players Macedonian football managers Yugoslav footballers American Indoor Soccer Association players Association football midfielders Canadian National Soccer League players Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) players Hartford Hawks men's soccer coaches London City players Maryland Terrapins men's soccer coaches Milwaukee Panthers men's soccer coaches Milwaukee Panthers men's soccer players Milwaukee Wave players North York Rockets players