Coach Altounian Remembered For Impact On Pasadena Area Soccer

Warren Altounian, faculty member and long-time assistant men's and women's soccer coach at Pasadena City College, passed away Friday. Altounian, 62, worked on campus for 12 years and was a fixture in Pasadena area athletics for nearly four decades.

At PCC, Altounian helped guide the Lancers' men's team to the 2002 State Final Four and was a part of three South Coast Conference champion squads in concert with head coach Cherif Zein. Among the players he coached at PCC was professional star Yura Movsisyan.

He taught adaptive physical education in the Pasadena Unified School District for 38 years, coaching football, cross country, and establishing the soccer program at John Muir High School in 1972.

At Muir, Altounian coached nine boys team league titles, directed many All-CIF performers and a prep All-American in Armando Luna. He retired from PUSD in June of last year, but continued coaching at PCC through the fall, 2010 season in helping out first-year head coach Edgar Manvelyan. He also coached Manvelyan during Edgar's playing days at PCC.

Altounian grew up in Pasadena, graduated Pasadena High, attended PCC, and was a member of the Lancers football team in the late 1960s. His son, Greg, and daughter, Alexis, both would go on to play soccer under their father's guidance at PCC.

"My father was dedicated to academics and saw education as the path to success for all his students and players," said Alexis Altounian. "He encouraged his players to attend college, transfer, or pursue a vocational path. A scholarship is being established in his name by several of his former players."

Altounian is survived by his wife Liz, son Greg, now a volunteer assistant coach for the PCC soccer program, daughter Alexis, an anthropology instructor for the PCC Social Sciences Division, and brother Arman.

The family is holding memorial services, welcoming the PCC family of staff and faculty, on Saturday, April 30 at Holy Family Church in South Pasadena. Services begin at 9 a.m. A memorial lunch will follow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Gregory Armenian Church. Further details, including information on how to donate to the Warren Altounian Scholarship Fund, can be found at the following link: https://sites.google.com/site/coachwarrenaltounian/

[Photo--Warren Altounian, seen here, coaching on the sideline in his final PCC Robinson Stadium soccer game last November, passed away at age 62, image by Richard Quinton.]