Abezetian retires leaving a lasting impact on Triton College Athletics

With a reach in sports that extended from Hall of Fame baseball player Ron Santo's Park Ridge house in the mid-1960s to the NFL replay office in New York in 2025, it's amazing Garrick Abezetian had time for the classic "day job."

But in a manner best suited for the affable Abezetian, he was able to intertwine all his sports sensibilities to the more mundane job of managing money for Triton College. And in the process, Triton's athletic program is all the much better for Abezetian' s special melding process as he takes his retirement at age 70 as Associate Vice President of Athletics on September 30.

Always a team player, whether as an athlete or a 50-year member of high school football officiating crews in Illinois, Abezetian would never claim major credit for the construction of Triton's state of the art athletic fields, renovation of the Jorndt Athletic Complex main building or emergence of the men's basketball program as a consistent national championship contender. Still, his fingerprints are affixed to the progress Triton has enjoyed in both facilities and competitiveness over the last decade.

Recreational and athletic programs' loss of Abezetian as a full-time administrator or director surely has been Triton's gain. Coming out of college, he discovered the Park Ridge Park District's top job paid just $24,000 annually. His mother pestered him to go to law school. With a master's degree from DePaul University, a job in his father's textile firm beckoned. He put on a coat and tie while running the youth football and baseball programs in Park Ridge and spending his late summer and fall weekends officiating high school football.

A subsequent 21-year run working for W.W. Grainger, Inc. preceded his hiring at Triton as Associate Vice President of Finance in 2010. He kept his title with the last word changed to "athletics" when he moved across Fifth Avenue early in 2020. But he already had put his stamp on Triton athletics in a role of which he believed had the most impact in his career at the school.

"The improvements were on the drawing boards," Abezetian said of the new athletic fields. "The facilities were getting older. But Triton had never issued bonds before."

Raising property taxes in the Triton district to pay for the new fields would have been a tough call. With his financial training, Abezetian convinced the Triton Board of Trustees to go the bonds route, without raising property taxes to the District's residents.

Abezetian helped ensure lights at the complex, costing $100,000, including getting lights for the softball field. The $38 million project ended up a win-win for all involved. He is proud that the fields are used by other athletic programs in the surrounding community. Both Fenwick and St. Patrick High School's play their home football games at Triton.

The re-done facilities were crucial in athletic recruiting. "Ten percent of the full-time student population are athletes," Abezetian said.

Going into his first Triton role, the school was mostly known athletically for its baseball program under the legendary Bob Symonds. True to his athletic long reach, he had a connection here. He had been a pitcher at neighboring Oakton College in Des Plaines under Rich Symonds, Bob's brother.

Abezetian gives former head coach Steve Christiansen all the credit in building up the men's basketball program in the 2010s, culminating with the NJCAA Division II National Championship in 2018. Now the men's program is self-perpetuating, with three berths in the NJCAA Division I Final Four in the past four years under Christiansen successors John Clancy and Brian Burns. Amar Augillard was named 2024 National JUCO Player of the Year.

But with the new facilities and Triton's location in the third-largest market helping, the women's basketball program is now a consistent regional contender with higher aspirations. The softball program also has developed into one the top in the region. While wrestling has maintained their standard of producing All-American's on a yearly basis.

Imagine what Abezetian could have done if athletic jobs had paid more in the late 1970s. Then, again, he would have done some of it for free. That was his compensation in his first sports "job" – babysitter for Santo's children at his home, a gig he got because the Cubs third baseman lived across the street from Abezetian's aunt and uncle. Santo's second Chicago home was in Park Ridge, as was his Pros Pizza restaurant, before moving to Glenview in 1969.

Abezetian has been involved in Park Ridge youth football and baseball since 1972. His reputation helped get sponsorship from the Chicago White Sox for the baseball program.

In football, Abezetian has officiated three Illinois High School Association (IHSA) championship games. He and his crews do not have the luxury of falling back on replay as do the pros and colleges, so they have to sharpen their interpretation of rules. "I still go to officiating meetings every week," he said. "Guys reffing high school football don't do it for the money."

But one Abezetian does get decent compensation for officiating. Son Martin Abezetian is working in his first season as an NFL replay assistant at league headquarters in New York. Meanwhile, daughter Jessica Caplis is an assistant softball coach at Maine South High School.

However, Abezetian's backbone has been his wife of 45 years, Diane Abezetian, who frequently attends Triton games with her husband.

Abezetian's football officiating and stewardship of youth sports will continue – as will involvement in Triton athletics after his formal retirement. He will have a different office as a consultant for the college and athletic department in the months ahead.

"I'll be around when if they need me," he said.

Abezetian proves there's no substitute for a passion for your work. Triton athletics and youth sports have enjoyed the benefits of that quality.
 
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)