CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State head men's soccer coach Ali Kazemaini has announced that he will step down as head coach at the end of the 2016 season after 11 seasons on the sidelines at CSU to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his personal business.
"I'm excited about the upcoming season with the team we have coming back and competing for a championship in my final season," Kazemaini said. "This will be a special group to go out with and the timing is right for me and my family for this to be my final season. I look forward to the start of the season next Friday at Krenzler Field against Dayton.
"I was brought to Cleveland State in 2006 to resurrect the program and I feel fortunate that I was able to achieve that," Kazemaini said. "The model has been to develop players who can consistently perform at a high level and we have been able to accomplish that. I have invested a lot of time and effort over the last 10 years and I will stay connected and continue to support the program to ensure the success continues."
"Over his 10 years at the helm of the CSU men's soccer, Ali has brought stability to the program," CSU Director of Athletics John Parry said. "His teams play an attractive style of soccer and they always improve throughout the season. Ali is now a Clevelander and he will be a Viking for life."
Kazemaini enters the 2016 season with 77 wins, the most by a coach in program history. He has produced 28 All-Horizon League selections at CSU, including 15 first team selections. Sergio Manesio's selection as Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year last year was the second time in the last four years that a Viking claimed the award. In addition, Brad Stuver was named the Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010.
In his first season at CSU in 2006, Kazemaini led the Vikings to the largest turnaround among all NCAA Division I teams, guiding the Vikings to a 6-10-2 record after the Vikings went 0-17-1 the previous year.
In 2008, Kazemaini led the Vikings to the Horizon League Championship match for the first time since 2002 and in 2012, he led CSU to its first League title in 32 years with a 2-0 win over Loyola in the championship match. It was CSU's first NCAA tournament bid since 1980 when Kazemaini was a player for the Vikings.
Kazemaini was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year for the first time in his career in 2012.
Over the last eight seasons, CSU has been seeded fourth or better in the League tournament, the longest active streak in the Horizon League.
A native of Tehran, Iran, Kazemaini originally came to Cleveland State in 1980 and was a standout on teams that compiled a 42-21-12 record from 1980-83, including an appearance in the 1980 NCAA tournament. He finished his career with 43 goals, 102 points and 20 assists, numbers that rank fifth, sixth and ninth, respectively, in CSU history.
The CSU Most Outstanding Player in 1981, 1982 and 1983, Kazemaini was a three-time all-region selection, earning first team honors in 1981 and 1983 and honorable mention accolades in 1982. One of two players in school history to lead the team in scoring in four straight years, Kazemaini was a second team All-American in 1981 and 1983.
Prior to coaching at CSU, Kazemaini was the head coach at John Carroll for 14 seasons, leading the Blue Streaks to seven conference titles and four tournament titles. He guided teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005 and was a three-time OAC Coach of the Year.
In his 24 years as a head coach, Kazemaini has compiled a record of 253-171-34.
Kazemaini and CSU open the 2016 regular season on Aug. 26 when CSU hosts Dayton at 7:00 pm at Krenzler Field.
A search for the new men's soccer coach will begin next month.
