July 20, 2015
SAN DIEGO - Karoly Varga has been named an assistant track and field coach at San Diego State, head coach Shelia Burrell announced today. Varga, who spent the last four years at Louisiana Monroe, will coach the Aztec mid-distance and distance runners, including the cross country team this fall.
Varga has been an assistant track and field and cross country coach with ULM since Aug. 2011, where he created, planned and facilitated all workouts for both the Warhawk women and men's teams. Over his four years at Louisiana Monroe, Varga consistently coached athletes to seasonal and personal bests across numerous events.
Varga helped ULM set three school records in 2014, including indoor marks in the women's 800-meter run, the men's 3K and the men's distance medley relay. At the 2013 outdoor Sun Belt Conference meet, Varga had a runner earn the Men's Most Outstanding Athlete award after becoming the top scorer (26 points) with a first-place finish in the 3K steeplechase, and runner-up showings in the 5K and 10K. The men's distance medley relay team, meanwhile, captured the 2013 Sun Belt indoor DMR. In the 2012 outdoor campaign, Varga had a competitor set a school record in the 10K, which qualified him for the NCAA Championships. During the 2012 indoor season, Varga coached four Warhawk record-setting times, including the men's 3K and 5K, the women's 800 and the women's 4x400, which featured two mid-distance runners. In 2011, Varga was named the Louisiana Cross Country Coach of the Year after guiding the men's team to its first regional ranking in program history, culminating with a qualifier for the NCAA Championships.
Varga also has had coaching stints at FH Club in Iceland (volunteer track and field coach) from 2008-10, Western State (volunteer assistant cross country coach) in 2006, Louisiana Tech (volunteer cross country and track and field coach) from 2005-06 and Cedar Creek High School (assistant boys and girls distance coach) from 2005-06.
As an athlete, Varga was a three-time Western Athletic Conference finalist in the 1,500 meters (2003-05) at Louisiana Tech, including a second-place finish in 2004. He also competed at the NCAA cross country regional meet every year at LA Tech. Post-collegiately, Varga was the second-ranked Hungarian athlete in the 1,500 in 2007. In the prep ranks, Varga was a 10-time Hungarian national champion, setting Hungarian high school records in the 1K, 1,500 and the 4x1,500 relay along the way.
Varga graduated with a pair of bachelor degrees of science at Louisiana Tech, first in business management in 2005 and then accounting in 2006.
The schedule for the 2015 season will be announced in the coming weeks.