The Angelina College soccer program has made steady strides since its inaugural season just three years ago. Both the women’s and men’s programs under head coach Freddy Drago have seen increases in win totals every year.
For the upcoming 2019 campaign, the coaching staff will add a new face – one bringing a wealth of experience at various levels of the sport.
Alex Zaroyan has joined the Roadrunners as an assistant coach. He spent the 2017-2018 seasons as an assistant for Ursinus College men’s soccer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania while completing his senior year at Temple University. Ursinus College is a member of the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference, which features perennial powerhouses such as Johns Hopkins, Haverford, Franklin and Marshall.
Prior to his time at Ursinus, Zaroyan coached club soccer in California and in Philadelphia with the Palumbo Soccer Club.
Along with his coaching abilities, Zaroyan has accumulated a diverse skill set while working all around the sport. He worked as a live charter and tracker with Match Analysis in the San Francisco Bay area, tracking more than 750 hours of soccer matches in leagues and teams ranging from Major League Soccer, Liga MX, U.S. Men’s and Women’s National teams and NCAA Division I programs across the nation.
Zaroyan’s own playing experiences ranged from playing recreational, club and high school soccer; he also received a tryout invitation with Liga MX Academy.
He obtained his U.S. Soccer D and Cal South E licenses. He’s certified in NCAA coaching and Futsal with the NSCAA, and he recently obtained his U.S. Soccer National C license in June of 2019.
A native of Monrovia, California, Zaroyan began his collegiate studies at California State University-East Bay, finishing at Temple University in the fall of 2018. He received his bachelor’s degree in Sports and Recreational Management with a concentration in Governance and Policy. Outside of coaching, Zaroyan has interned with the Philadelphia Flyers and Bethlehem Steel Football Club.
Zaroyan’s parents are Maria and John Zaroyan of Monrovia, California.
AC’s soccer teams open the regular season with a women’s/men’s doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. against Richland College on Friday, August 23 at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.