--Sun Devil Associate Head Coach Armen Kirakossian Named As Assistant Coach for 2020 Palmer Cup (Sept. 12, 2019).
--Sun Devil Armen Kirakossian Named Top Assistant In the Nation by GCAA and TaylorMade (May 7, 2019)
Armen Kirakossian joined Matt Thurmond’s staff as assistant coach on August 1, 2017, and after just two years was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
ASU's 2018-19 season included four team wins, six individual wins, a PING First-Team All-American (Chun An Yu) and six second-place finishes. Cameron Sisk earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, while Matt Thurmond earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year. The Sun Devils won three straight tournaments with a different Sun Devil winning each event in March and April. They won the Thunderbird Collegiate at Papago Golf Course on April 12-13 with a 20-under 832, shot 50-under on March 18-19 to win the National Invitational in Tucson, won the San Diego Lamkin Grips Classic on March 11-12 (10-under 854 and the John Burns Intercollegiate on Feb. 21-13 shooting a 24-under 840.
"Armen is really a tremendous coach. He can do anything and he can do it all well," notes Sun Devil head coach Matt Thurmond, who entering 2019-20 has four former assistant coaches of his leading Division I golf programs. "His capacity and effort allow me to do more because there just isn’t anything I can’t fully trust him with. He’s awesome with the guys coaching, he recruits really well and he knows how to run all facets of our program."
Kirakossian joined ASU from Pepperdine where he served as assistant coach for two years. During his tenure, he helped the Waves to their best finish at the NCAA Championships (13th) and their best end-of-season ranking (20th) since 2004.
"I want to thank Coach Thurmond and ASU for giving me this opportunity," Kirakossian said. "My family and I feel so blessed and honored to be a part of the Sun Devil family. This is an exciting time for the program with NCAA Championships coming to town in the next few years and the new facilities at Papago. The program has a great history and I enjoy being a part of that while helping build the future."
Prior to his stint at Pepperdine Kirakossian was the head coach at his alma mater, Texas Pan American (UTPA), where he led the Broncos to three top-five finishes in 2014-15. One of his golfers won the Western Athletic Conference's individual crown and advanced to an NCAA Regional, becoming the school's first student-athlete to participate in the NCAAs since 1978.
Kirakossian, who was a volunteer assistant in 2012-13 before being hired in August 2014, earned his degree in business administration from UTPA in 2010, is part of the Sun Devil family in Tempe by his wife, Ale, and daughter Abigail.
--Sun Devil Armen Kirakossian Named Top Assistant In the Nation by GCAA and TaylorMade (May 7, 2019)
Armen Kirakossian joined Matt Thurmond’s staff as assistant coach on August 1, 2017, and after just two years was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
Congrats to @Akirakossian ! https://t.co/zbiBFjFnGK pic.twitter.com/A5g4jXleud
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) September 11, 2019
ASU's 2018-19 season included four team wins, six individual wins, a PING First-Team All-American (Chun An Yu) and six second-place finishes. Cameron Sisk earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, while Matt Thurmond earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year. The Sun Devils won three straight tournaments with a different Sun Devil winning each event in March and April. They won the Thunderbird Collegiate at Papago Golf Course on April 12-13 with a 20-under 832, shot 50-under on March 18-19 to win the National Invitational in Tucson, won the San Diego Lamkin Grips Classic on March 11-12 (10-under 854 and the John Burns Intercollegiate on Feb. 21-13 shooting a 24-under 840.
So far it has been solid season ... 4 team Ws ... 6 individual titles ... defended Thunderbird Collegiate crown ... it just got better with this guy being named the nation's top assistant. @ASU @asunews
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) May 7, 2019
THUMBS UP EMOJI FOR @Akirakossian
READ ABOUT IT HERE: https://t.co/JiFB8yg8fd pic.twitter.com/ax7wmDC5MD
"Armen is really a tremendous coach. He can do anything and he can do it all well," notes Sun Devil head coach Matt Thurmond, who entering 2019-20 has four former assistant coaches of his leading Division I golf programs. "His capacity and effort allow me to do more because there just isn’t anything I can’t fully trust him with. He’s awesome with the guys coaching, he recruits really well and he knows how to run all facets of our program."
ASU TEAM WINS IN COACH KIRAKOSSIAN'S FIRST TWO SEASONS
2019 ASU Thunderbird Collegiate/April 12-13
2019 National Invitational/Mar. 18-19
2019 Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic/Mar. 11-12
2019 John Burns Intercollegiate/Feb. 21-23
2018 ASU Thunderbird Invitational/April 14-15
2018 Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate/March 11-13
2017 Maui Jim Intercollegiate/September 22-24
"We were thrilled to have him join us in the summer of 2017. He had proven to be an outstanding coach, recruiter, and leader. We have a lot of things happening here right now and need someone with a very broad skill set and relentless work ethic to help us maximize all the exciting opportunities with our team, recruits, facility and events."2019 ASU Thunderbird Collegiate/April 12-13
2019 National Invitational/Mar. 18-19
2019 Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic/Mar. 11-12
2019 John Burns Intercollegiate/Feb. 21-23
2018 ASU Thunderbird Invitational/April 14-15
2018 Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate/March 11-13
2017 Maui Jim Intercollegiate/September 22-24
Kirakossian joined ASU from Pepperdine where he served as assistant coach for two years. During his tenure, he helped the Waves to their best finish at the NCAA Championships (13th) and their best end-of-season ranking (20th) since 2004.
"I want to thank Coach Thurmond and ASU for giving me this opportunity," Kirakossian said. "My family and I feel so blessed and honored to be a part of the Sun Devil family. This is an exciting time for the program with NCAA Championships coming to town in the next few years and the new facilities at Papago. The program has a great history and I enjoy being a part of that while helping build the future."
Prior to his stint at Pepperdine Kirakossian was the head coach at his alma mater, Texas Pan American (UTPA), where he led the Broncos to three top-five finishes in 2014-15. One of his golfers won the Western Athletic Conference's individual crown and advanced to an NCAA Regional, becoming the school's first student-athlete to participate in the NCAAs since 1978.
Kirakossian, who was a volunteer assistant in 2012-13 before being hired in August 2014, earned his degree in business administration from UTPA in 2010, is part of the Sun Devil family in Tempe by his wife, Ale, and daughter Abigail.