Nahigian Named To Replace Park

Alex Nahigian, head baseball coach at Providence College since 1960, has been named head baseball coach at Harvard, John P. Reardon Jr. '60, director of athletics, announced yesterday. Nahigian succeeds Loyal Park, who resigned this spring after ten seasons with the Crimson.

One of the most successful and respected collegiate coaches in the country, Nahigian was the unanimous choice of Harvard's six-member search committee. In 19 seasons at Providence, Nahigian compiled a 224-177-2 record, and was named New England Coach of the Year in 1973, when he led the Friars to a 23-5-1 mark.

In 17 years of coaching baseball in Pawtucket, Nahigian won ten divisional titles and one state championship. His efforts were recognized and he became head baseball coach at Providence in 1960. He had 16 winning seasons with the Friars, who appeared in NCAA postseason play in nine of those years. In nine of the past 12 seasons, his teams ranked in the top ten nationally in team defense, and twice (1972 and '75) were national fielding leaders.

"Without question, Alex Nahigian is the finest teacher of the game in the collegiate ranks today. And his record backs this up," Dave Gavitt, Providence athletic director, said yesterday.

In addition to his baseball responsibilities, Nahigian will assist Harvard in its football program.