Ali Kazemaini  -  
    Ali Kazemaini

    Position:
    Head Coach
    Experience:
    6th season

    04/24/2012

    Former Viking Williams Gets First MLS Start

    Williams Played for CSU From 2006-09

    11/07/2011

    Six Vikings Earn All-Horizon League Honors

    Three First Team Honorees Lead The Way

    10/31/2011

    Aaron Adkins Named Horizon League 'Player of the Week'

    Second Time This Season He Has Won Weekly Award

    10/26/2011

    Vikings Come From Behind for Huge Road Win Over Butler

    Goals from Hart and Adkins Keep CSU Tied for First Place

    10/25/2011

    First Place Vikings Enter Stretch Run

    CSU With Big Road Match at Butler on Wednesday

    When Ali Kazemaini took over the Cleveland State soccer program in 2006, the team was coming off a winless season. Expectations were not very high. In a short period, he has built the program to the point where big things are expected, evidenced by the fact the Vikings were tabbed to finish second in the 2011 Horizon League Preseason Poll.

    In his 19 years as a head coach, Ali Kazemaini has compiled a record of 210-124-27, including 34 victories at Cleveland State and a 19-2 record at Krenzler Field over the past three seasons.

    Last season, the Vikings had an extremely young team that finished 9-10-1 in 2010 and had their season highlighted with a win over the Akron Zips, the eventual national champions.

    When he took over the winless CSU program beginning with the 2006 season, he returned immediate results. Coach Kazemaini led the Vikings to the largest turnaround among all NCAA Division I programs, ending the season with a 6-10-2 record.

    During the 2007 season, the Vikings finished with a record of 3-7-2 in matches decided by one goal or less, indicating they were better than their 3-12-3 overall record.

    The Vikings were able to rebound under Kazemaini in 2008 by going 5-5-2 in matches decided by one goal or fewer and posting an overall record of 9-8-3, leading the team to the finals of the Horizon League Championship for the first time since 2002. Kazemaini came back to Cleveland State after 14 successful seasons as head coach at John Carroll University.

    Kazemaini took over at JCU in 1992 and the Blue Streaks immediately benefited, going 15-2-1 and winning the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship in his first season. The accomplishments quickly piled up. He won seven OAC regular season titles during his 14 seasons, earning a league tournament berth 12 times and claiming four tournament championships.

    He guided his teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005, highlighted by a trip to the round of 16 in 2003.

    For his efforts, Kazemaini was named OAC Coach of the Year three times (2000, 2001, & 2005) and the NSCAA/Adidas Regional Coach of the Year twice (2000 & 2001). During his tenure at John Carroll, Kazemaini coached players who won all-league honors 42 times, all-region accolades 21 times and 31 All-Ohio choices.

    In the classroom, eight of his players were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District teams, with two earning Academic All-America honors.

    A native of Tehran, Iran, Kazemaini originally came to Cleveland State in 1980 and played on teams that compiled a 42-21-12 record, making one NCAA Championship appearance.

    Kazemaini, one of two players in Vikings history to lead the team in scoring four straight years, currently ranks fifth in CSU history in goals (41), sixth in total points (102) and ninth in assists (20).

    Kazemaini began his CSU playing career in fine fashion, leading the team in goals (6), assists (4) and points (16) in 1980.

    He came back the following year to double his scoring totals, tallying team highs in all three categories with 12 goals, eight assists and 32 points to earn second team All-America and first team All-Ohio accolades, helping CSU to a 14-5-2 record.

    His junior campaign in 1982 saw similar success as he led the team with 11 goals and 26 points to make All-Ohio first team for the second straight year.

    Kazemaini capped off his collegiate career in 1983 by earning second team All-America honors for the second time in his career, tallying 12 goals with four assists for 28 points to again lead CSU in every scoring category. He is one of a handful of Vikings to earn first team All-Ohio recognition three times during his career.

    A two-year letterman in tennis (1982-83), Kazemaini was the recipient of the CSU Varsity "C" Club Athlete of the Year in 1981 while being tabbed as the player of the year in soccer three times and twice in tennis.

    Selected to play on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, Kazemaini had to forego playing in the Los Angeles games when immigration paperwork could not be approved in time. Undaunted, Kazemaini turned professional. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 Major Indoor Soccer League Draft by the Cleveland Force and in the fourth round of the North American Soccer League Draft by the San Diego Shockers.

    Kazemaini chose indoor soccer and was immediately successful, being selected as the MISL Rookie of the Year in 1984-85. He played professionally for 11 years.

    As his professional career wound down, Kazemaini pursued coaching, an aspect of the sport that he had worked in during the off-season for over a decade, participating in numerous coaching clinics and player camps.

    His extensive soccer background includes working as an instructor for the Cleveland Force Summer Soccer Camps from 1984 to 1988 before moving on to the Cloverleaf Soccer Academy, where he served as a director.

    Kazemaini currently serves as the Director of Coaching at the Cleveland Soccer Academy and Director of Soccer Operations at Lost Nation Sports Park. He is also a member of the State Olympic Development coaching staff.

    Kazemaini is married to the former Michelle Mone and they reside in Concord with their daughter Zari and son Ali Jr. chelle Mone and they reside in Concord with their daughter Zari and son Ali Jr.