Ken Magarian’s diverse legacy at Westfield State includes strong stints as both baseball and softball coach, athletic director, administrator, faculty member and a history of community involvement.

Magarian set a standard for team excellence in multiple sports. He coached a total of eight years (six seasons with baseball and two seasons with softball). He started as the head softball coach in 1975 where he immediately achieved success, leading the team to an 18-2 record while also claiming the Massachusetts State Tournament Championship. The team had the highest ever winning percentage (.900) for an Owls softball team, achieved while facing three Division I opponents.

Magarian took the head baseball coaching position in 1976. Over a period of six seasons, he compiled a 166-79-2 record (.676 winning percentage). In 1977 and 1979, Magarian’s teams won 31 regular season games (31-12-1 in 1977 and 31-10 in 1979), which is the school record for most wins in a season. Magarian also led the Owls to the NCAA tournament five times in his six years as head coach. In his six years, Magarian averaged 28 wins per season. 

Magarian again took the reins of the softball program in 1996 where he led the Owls to a 19-11 record. The team reached the ECAC tournament, marking the capstone of his coaching career. In two seasons as softball coach, he posted a 37-13 record (.740 winning percentage).

In Magarian’s eight-year collegiate coaching career, he posted a 203-82-2 (.710) record in both sports combined.  

Magarian, a native of Tyngsboro, also had a lasting impact in a variety of roles in administration as an Owl. At various times holding assistant and associate athletic director positions, serving as sports information director, assistant baseball coach and athletic trainer, and director of intramurals.

He founded the intramural Banacos Road Race as a fund-raiser in support of Jimmy Banacos ‘82, a close friend who was paralyzed in a lacrosse accident while a student at Westfield State.  The Banacos Road Race also featured the first appearance of the Hoyt racing team – as friend Dick Hoyt first competed while pushing his quadriplegic son Rick in a wheelchair – after learning of the race from Magarian. (The Hoyts would go on to compete in 32 Boston Marathons and more than 1000 road races and triathlons).

He initiated the founding of Westfield State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992-93. 

As Director of Athletics, Magarian served as chair of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. He also was vice chair of the NCAA Division 2 & 3 Infractions Committee in Indianapolis and Division 3 east regional men’s basketball selection committee. 

One of his greatest advancements for the University was co-directing and facilitating the planning and construction of the Woodward Center Field House.

Later he served as the Director of Development & Community Relations within the President’s Office where he became the leader of the Banacos Academic Center fundraising project.  He started the General College Internship program and the Community Service Clearinghouse as well as College 101, a day-long program to expose seventh graders in the city to their potential to attend college.

Magarian was named Administrative Emeritis and was also named as one of the 150 Who Made a Difference during the College’s 150^th anniversary in 1989.       

Community involvement is also part of Magarian’s legacy.  He was president of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Spark Plugs, a member of the Chamber of Commerce board of directors, a 35-year chair of the Westfield Parks and Recreation Commission, and a past-president and life-member of the Greater Westfield Kiwanis Club. 

Ken’s legacy at Westfield State is one of always putting students first, and never letting the college community forget about who Jimmy Banacos was.

He is currently an adjunct professor in biology at Westfield State and is completing a non-fiction book, “Murder in a Small Town”, about the famous Westfield unsolved 1940 murder of Dr. Louis B. Allyn.

Ken and his wife Jane ‘76 reside in Westfield and have three adult daughters – Courtney, Karlie, and Lindsey.