By Eddie Hobbs
Since head coach Sasho Cirovski took over the soccer program at the University of Maryland in 1993, he has produced 23 straight winning seasons, won six ACC Tournaments and three consecutive Big Ten Tournaments. Cirovski has a combined record of 400-145-47, and a 373-133-47 record with Maryland.
Before Cirovski arrived, the team hadn’t won a championship in its existence and had only made the NCAA Tournament 14 times in 46 years. Cirovski, meanwhile, has only missed the NCAA Tournament two times in his career at Maryland, and has helped the program raise two championship trophies in 2005 and 2008.
Cirovski has groomed some talented players in College Park. There have been two MAC Hermann Trophy winners under Cirovski’s watch — Jason Garey in 2005 and Patrick Mullins in 2012 and 2013. There have also been 41 players selected in the MLS SuperDraft that Cirovski has coached. This speaks volumes to how Cirovski can coach up players and set them up for success.
There was one milestone Cirovski had yet to capture when the Terps traveled to Wisconsin Friday night: 400 career wins.
Going into a game against Wisconsin Friday night, Cirovski had 399 wins and the Terps had won 30 consecutive regular season games.
The Terps ended up spoiling Wisconsin’s senior night and won the match in sloppy fashion, 5-4.
Some of the players didn’t know the magnitude of the win until Cirovski told them after the game.
“I think we just take it one game at a time and just enjoyed playing and enjoyed the win. He told us about number 400 after the game,” Donovan Pines said. “We were just really happy for coach Sash.”
Cirovski became the ninth Division I head coach to win 400 games, a milestone that he has earned through hard work and dedication to the game. Cirovski talked before the game against No. 10 Georgetown, and mentioned how big this win was, and how he is still focused on the Hoyas.
“I’m too much in the moment to reflect on its significance, right now I am focused on the next game,” Cirovski said. “But, I am very proud of the program milestone particularly the fact that it has been done over a reasonably small window of time. It just means that we are achieving excellence on a continuing basis and that makes you feel really proud. And I have been so privileged to coach so many great young people and help them accomplish their dreams.”
For now, Cirovski is preparing the Terrapins for a top 10 showdown with the Georgetown Hoyas on Tuesday night. Who knows if Cirovski has or will celebrate this milestone, but that is for the offseason, right now he is in the midst of what looks like another championship run.
