He admitted he was embarrassed. He didn’t want to bug him.
He literally felt unworthy. After all, he’s just a water polo
coach meeting one of the greatest coaches ever to grace the
sidelines.
Nonetheless, it was happening. And it was one of UCLA
men’s and women’s water polo coach Adam
Krikorian’s most memorable moments of his life.
Clad in his usual best, a blue polo shirt and jeans, Krikorian
and his father, Gary, drove separately to VIP*S, a restaurant in
Tarzana, two weeks ago on Thursday at 8 a.m.
Krikorian recalls being both tense and anxious as he stepped
into the restaurant. Just as he was greeted by the receptionist and
before he could finish asking if his party had already arrived,
Krikorian caught a glimpse of a figure dressed in a baby blue vest
on the left side of him. It was coach John Wooden.
“I probably had a huge smile on my face,” Krikorian
recalls. “But, when I saw him, I know this might sound weird,
I was embarrassed because here’s this 30-year-old water polo
coach coming in to see a 94-year-old legend.
“At the same time, I also felt excited meeting a man that
symbolizes so many great things; not just in athletics but in
life.”
Wooden had been meaning to meet this men’s and
women’s water polo coach he had heard so much about.
In a university where names like Wooden and UCLA men’s
volleyball coach Al Scates are ones that people associate with
success, Krikorian may very well be setting a new standard. In the
past five years, Krikorian has etched his name among the most
successful, collecting five of his seven national titles within
that period. Krikorian currently holds an overall winning
percentage of 81.7 percent (291-65), second only to Scates.
And because he is coaching two programs, Krikorian, as young as
he is, may very well separate himself from his peers in the
future.
“There’s only one John Wooden,” Associate
Athletic Director Ken Weiner said. “There’s only one Al
Scates. And my feelings are there’s only one Adam
Krikorian.”
Wooden started the conversation, congratulating Krikorian on
winning the men’s and women’s water polo championships.
Wooden had a question.
“He asked me, “˜Has anyone ever won both
championships before in the same year?'” Krikorian
remembers. “I said, well, actually I have. Two other
times.”
Putting his hand over his mouth, Wooden was embarrassed,
astonished and then apologized.
“Immediately, I felt bad for even saying that,”
Krikorian said. “I corrected coach Wooden after the first
question he asked me.”
Over a plate of eggs, toast and sausage, Krikorian listened as
Gary and Bill Oates, a long-time friend of Wooden’s, would go
off on a tangent about their college days and Wooden would chime in
and say a wise crack about Oates. But mostly, Krikorian
listened and absorbed every morsel of knowledge from Wooden.
“You don’t want to say anything stupid,”
Krikorian said. “There were so many things I wanted to ask
him, but I didn’t want to protrude.”
Wooden and Krikorian both share common characteristics. Like
Wooden, who had accomplished the feat on four separate occasions,
Krikorian and his women’s water polo team were able to go
undefeated this season (33-0).
When Wooden began sharing stories about his team that had gone
undefeated, Krikorian asked him whether the coach felt the pressure
of going undefeated.
“He said, “˜No, but as they got closer and closer to
the number to break the streak the more difficult it
became,'” Krikorian said. “It was very similar to
what our team went through.”
After spending over an hour with Wooden at VIP*S, Krikorian was
ready to head back to work until Oates suggested that they head
over to Wooden’s home. Wooden fancied the idea.
The inside of Wooden’s condo was far from unassuming as
awards, plaques, pictures, memorabilia and thank-you letters
adorned his entire home. After talking for a few hours, the day
began to wind down and Wooden had a list of people waiting to meet
him (former UCLA women’s basketball great Ann Meyers and
former UCLA basketball great Henry Bibby), so Krikorian thanked
Wooden for having him and departed.
Though it may have been just a few hours, Krikorian’s
experience with Wooden was more than the water polo coach could
have asked for.
“It was an honor, a privilege,” Krikorian said.
“It’s something I’ll remember forever, for the
rest of my life, and hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to
speak to him again.”
Coaching waters
At an early age, Krikorian was drawn to coaching. As an
adolescent growing up in Mountain View, Krikorian used to do more
than just play baseball, soccer and swim. He had a little coaching
inside of him.
Krikorian’s father, Gary, recalls a rambunctious
nine-year-old and his blackboard.
“He’d write his teammates’ names on the board
and critique and make comments on what everyone had in the
game,” Gary said. “He even went as far as to notice the
kids that weren’t the best athletes.”
An eye for talent wasn’t the only characteristic that
Krikorian possessed; he was diligent and he always led by example.
After being an integral member of the 1995 UCLA men’s water
polo national championship team in his senior year, Krikorian was
drawn to the women’s team as a member of the scout team.
During his time on the scout team, members of the women’s
team saw something more than just a player in Krikorian. They saw a
leader.
“He was teaching us techniques in the pool,” former
Bruin Amanda Gall said. “He was a positive role model that
continued to tell the girls, especially the younger ones, to keep
their heads on their shoulders and be active.”
Former head women’s and men’s water polo coach Guy
Baker also took notice of the wide-eyed Krikorian. In 1996, while
Krikorian was still finishing up his degree, Baker brought
Krikorian on as an undergraduate assistant.
One thing led to another and Krikorian was hired as the
assistant coach for the 1997 and 1998 season for both programs.
“It’s interesting because most people that come to
UCLA don’t aspire to be a coach, but he was a natural,”
Baker said. “Adam is a tremendously competitive person, a
great leader, and his drive and motivation make for all the
qualities of a great coach.”
The 1997 season was when everything changed. The team went 14-12
and finished outside the national ranking after just having won
back-to-back national titles. It was one of the worst years in UCLA
history since 1989.
“I felt it was partly my responsibility to get this thing
and turn it around,” Krikorian said. “I was not
satisfied with the outcome and it was not how I wanted to end my
time at UCLA.”
Krikorian’s opportunity for redemption came in 1998 when
Baker accepted the job as the U.S. women’s water polo
national team coach. During the 1999 season, Baker was making the
transition into his new position and had somewhat of a limited role
in coaching, so Krikorian was announced as the co-head coach with
Baker for the men’s season. After the Bruins went on to win
the national title that year, Baker officially stepped down.
Weiner and Associate Athletic Director Betsy Stephenson
publicized the vacancy for both head coaching positions. They
received a host of applicants, but all the while, Weiner and
Stephenson had the 24-year-old Krikorian pegged as the frontrunner
for the vacant position, despite his limited coaching
experience.
“Even at a really young age, Adam has been wise beyond his
years,” Weiner said. “I challenged him. I told him
I’d like to see him leave a mark in water polo not only at
UCLA but in the world of water polo. When you talk about water polo
you undoubtedly think of Adam and UCLA.”
Freshman
Just two years removed from college, Krikorian admitted the
transition was difficult. The relationships and social gatherings
he was accustomed to in his college days were no more. He was no
longer their buddy. He was their coach. And while the waters did
get turbulent at times, Krikorian remembered the reasoning behind
taking this job.
“The biggest thing for me was Guy had the confidence in me
to be his assistant and to eventually be a head coach,”
Krikorian said. “He made me believe I was going to be a good
head coach if that’s what I wanted. Without that,
there’s no way I’d ever be here and had the success
I’ve had.”
When Krikorian took over the women’s water polo program in
1999, the Bruins had just won three consecutive national titles and
were vying for a fourth.
What made it even more difficult was losing college sensations
like Catharine von Schwarz, Coralie Simmons and Robin Beauregard to
the 2000 Olympics.
And there were certain expectations put on Krikorian in his
first year as a head coach for the women’s water polo program
in 1999.
“It was frightening,” Krikorian said.
“There’s definitely some nerves that went along with my
job and I think I put so much pressure on myself to succeed because
I never thought I would be in this position.”
Krikorian was left coaching players who he had gone to school
with. He could only describe it as an “awkward
situation,” but Krikorian followed his instincts as players
who were once his friends began taking his coaching decisions
personally.
For some players like Serela Kay, who was friends with Krikorian
during his college years, it was an easier transition to have
Krikorian as their new head coach. But it wasn’t
flawless.
“For me it was tough because I started my freshman,
sophomore and junior year and then I had to come off the bench when
Adam came,” Kay said. “No one wants to hear after
you’ve been a starter for three years that you’re not
going to start anymore.”
Nevertheless, Krikorian was firm and provided reasoning for all
the moves that he was making. He simply used players that he
thought would give the team its best chance to win.
He’s kept that same mentality to this day, and it’s
shown in the success that he has endured. And that’s
something that his players have respected.
In Krikorian’s first year, the team finished third in the
NCAAs. In his second season, the Bruins were atop the nation again
and captured their fourth national title in five years. And in the
next five years they would go on to win three more.
Making an impact
Unlike the boisterous and adamant personality he possesses when
he’s on the pool deck, Krikorian is modest outside of the
pool. He shies away from any adulation when the topic of his seven
national titles is mentioned. He strays away from comparing himself
with some of the greatest coaches.
But what he has been able to accomplish in this short period of
time illustrates a kind of consistency that even the Wizard of
Westwood doesn’t parallel.
Wooden’s first of 10 national titles didn’t come
until his 15th year as a coach. Comparatively, Krikorian’s
first title as a head coach came in his first season (2000).
“That’s where I think I’ve been spoiled.
I’ve been able to step into this position and be successful
right away,” Krikorian said. “I know for a lot of
people it doesn’t happen that way and I will never ever take
that for granted.”
But winning is not everything. Similar to Wooden, Krikorian
draws his success not just by the number of rings on his fingers,
but by the development of his players into quality human
beings.
“Adam bleeds blue and gold just like coach Wooden,”
senior Natalie Golda said. “Adam cares about our futures and
he wants us to be good people like coach Wooden wanted of his
players.”
Seniors Brett Ormsby and Ted Peck are thankful for the knowledge
that Krikorian has bestowed upon them.
“He pushed me to be a leader,” Ormsby said.
“Not just someone that scores goals, but helps the team out.
I tried to do that, and it worked.”
“Adam has told us no matter how talented you are, you
still have to work hard, and he instilled that in us our senior
year,” Peck said. “That’s a life lesson
I’ve taken beyond water polo.”
Similarly on the women’s side, Krikorian continues to
impact his players.
“I really do owe a lot of my success to Adam,” said
Golda, an Olympian. “He’s given me support and
confidence to help me believe in myself.”
In a profession where it’s nearly impossible to be a coach
who remains friends with his players, Krikorian has bonded with his
players by getting to know them on a personal level.
“He’s really passionate about what he does,”
assistant coach and former player Nicolle Payne said. “He
always tries to instill confidence into his players and not take it
away. He’s able to be your friend and your coach; a lot of
coaches can’t do that.”
Down the Road
Krikorian doesn’t look into the future. He even has
trouble looking two, three years down the line. He’s married
and doesn’t know when he wants to have children.
But Krikorian has yet to test himself on the international
stage. He has yet to face the difficulty of bringing together
players from differing backgrounds and programs, trying to
accomplish the one goal of winning gold. Although representing
one’s country is an honor, Krikorian isn’t interested.
He wants to remain a Bruin.
“It’s like I’ve never left here,”
Krikorian said. “It’s like I’m a 13th year
student here at UCLA. Hopefully in seven years, I’ll be a
20th year student at UCLA.
“I think in a lot of ways when you move up to the national
team level, it’s more about winning and striving for the gold
medal rather than not just developing as just as athlete, but
maturing as a person. One of my greatest rewards of coaching is
knowing you have a positive impact on someone’s life
academically and socially.”
As Krikorian sits off one of the islands off of Hawai’i
for his first vacation this season, as much as he doesn’t
want to admit it, he’s probably thinking about work. And he
has plenty of pressure.
Wooden wrote on a copy of the “Pyramid of Success,”
“For coach Adam Krikorian: Best wishes, John Wooden.
Remember, we, the alumni, expect nothing less than NCAA
championships and perhaps, undefeated from now on.”
Krikorian agrees. He too doesn’t expect anything less.