Riverdale boys soccer coach Ali Arman steps down

After filling a void with the girls soccer program recently, Riverdale must now find a replacement at coach for the boys program.

Longtime boys coach Ali Arman stepped down fthis week.

"I decided to take a break from coaching (high school soccer)," said Arman, who has been the boys coach at Riverdale since the 2001 season. "I've been coaching (boys) for 17 seasons. It wasn't an easy decision, but I wanted to spend more time with my family."

Arman has been coaching soccer at Riverdale since 1998, beginning with the girls. He took over the boys program in 2001 and stepped down from the girls position in 2008.

He will stay on as a teacher at Riverdale and be heavily involved with the Murfreesboro Soccer Club.

He is even helping with the search for his replacement.

"He's got some names of possible fits," Riverdale athletic director Barry Messer said. "We'll go through the interview process pretty quickly. We don't want to wait around too long."

Added Arman, with a laugh, "I told them if they didn't find somebody good, I would keep coaching. I'm still at the school. I'm a Riverdale guy. I'll be very supportive."

Arman went 187-88-33 during his time with the Riverdale boys program. He took six squads to the state tournament (2006, '08, '10, '11, '12, '14). He also took two girls squads to state (2006, '08).

"He helped build the soccer programs from the ground up," Messer said.

Arman's 2017 squad was in the thick of a balanced District 7-AAA race all season before finishing fifth. The Warriors defeated La Vergne 3-0 in the first round of the league tournament before falling to eventual champion Blackman in the semifinals.

With children ages 6 and 10, his family priorities began to require more time.

"It was a very tough decision in that I have enjoyed working with such great young men and being able to see them develop as soccer players and men," Arman said. "But, at the end of the day, I'm a husband and father first, and I have to do a good job at that. I still have a lot of passion for coaching soccer, and I will still be coaching in the Murfreesboro Soccer Club."

Arman also didn't rule out getting back into high school coaching down the line.

The Riverdale girls program also lost a coach when Anna Grace Gerhart stepped down after three seasons.

A guidance counselor at the school, Gerhart stepped down after obtaining a similar position at Central Magnet School. She has been replaced by Chris Biggs, who is also an assistant on the Riverdale baseball team.

"He's a baseball guy, but he's been around the team a lot over the last couple of years, driving for them," Messer said. "He'll be a faculty coach. He's going to get a couple of soccer guys to help him out."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.