Former Florida State Coach Mark Krikorian Becomes GM of Washington Spirit

August 15, 2022
By Rohtas Wadera

College coaches are finally coming into the mainstream at the professional level, and it’s something that should’ve started happening a long time ago. In recent times the NWSL teams are ½ in making the right choices. Amanda Cromwell’s tenure in Orlando hasn’t lasted long despite her record at UCLA. On the other hand, Chris Petrucelli has come into Chicago from SMU and been exactly what they needed. The biggest fish of them all has finally left the college ranks and is taking over the Washington Spirit. Mark Krikorian, who won multiple national championships and put 22 of his players in the NWSL from Florida State, is now the General Manager in DC. Here’s what it means for the organization and the league.

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Past Coaching

Mark Krikorian is one of the best in the business and has truly built his reputation from the ground up. The head coach started at Division II school Franklin Pierce College, then moved to the University of Hartford and then the U-19 USWNT before getting to Florida State.

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At every level, Krikorian has either made the tournament or won national titles; there is no in-between. He’s only had one losing season in 22 years at the DI level; that was his first year at Hartford in 1996. This coach is a flat-out winner; it doesn’t matter where he goes. We had Mark Krikorian on our podcast fresh off of winning his second national title at the time, and his mindset never changed. FSU would go on to win another national title in 2021.

Washington Spirit

That’s how even-keeled and steady Mark Krikorian is. No matter the situation, he will be prepared and ready to face it. However, one thing to note is that he won’t be the head coach anymore. Kris Ward is still the main man in charge, and after leading the team to an NWSL title, he deserves to keep it. Ward will report to Krikorian, and based on what Ward and owner Michelle Kang have had to say about him, everyone is clearly on the same page.

This type of front office should strike fear into the rest of the league because this team was already tough to face, and Mark Krikorian will make sure they get even better. Think about some of the amazing players he found and brought to Florida State: Jaelin Howell, Deyna Castellanos, Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Tori Huster, Casey Short, Carson Pickett, Toni Pressley, Natalia Kuikka, and the list goes on. Those players listed aren’t just pros in the NWSL or Europe; they’re all established players who have impacted their club teams and play for their country.

Looking at the roster the Spirit has, they are incredibly talented already, and to have Mark Krikorian as the guy to fill the remaining weaknesses could spell trouble for the rest of the league. It might not happen right away, but once Mark Krikorian gets adjusted to the NWSL, the Washington Spirit should continue to be perennial contenders for a long time if they keep building around their strong, young core of players.

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