Sinisa Ubiparipovic enters his sixth year as the head men’s soccer coach at Cleveland State University. In his five seasons, the Vikings are 35-33-11 overall (.513 winning percentage), and 22-16-7 (.567 winning percentage) in league play.

The 2023 campaign saw the Vikings put up a 3-9-5 overall record and a 2-3-4 Horizon League mark. Pablo Kawecki earned his second straight First Team All-League recognition, and Kyle Folds netted Second Team honors for the first-time in his career. Off the field, two Vikings were named to the Academic All-League team.

In 2022, Ubiparipovic led the Green and White to an 11-4-5 overall record and a 5-1-3 mark in league matches. The Vikings won their first-ever Horizon League Regular Season Championship and hosted the tournament on Krenzler Field for the first time. Cleveland State won their second Horizon League Tournament Championship on the ten-year anniversary of the program’s first after blanking IUPUI 3-0.

Cleveland State appeared in the NCAA Tournament, falling on the road at the University of Pitt. 2-1. In home games, Cleveland State was 6-1-3, with two of those games against NCAA Top 25 opponents (No. 8 Marshall and No. 13 Ohio State).

For the second straight year, the Vikings had the Player of the Year, with Bojan Kolevski receiving the honors in addition to being named Offensive Player of the Year. Coach Ubiparipovic garnered his first Coach of the Year recognition as well. The Green and White had three First Team All-League honorees, two Second Team players, and one on the All-Freshman team.

In the fall 2021 season, Ubiparipovic led the Vikings to a 10-8 overall record and a program-best eight Horizon League victories, including a perfect 5-0 mark on Krenzler Field. With their 8-2 league record, the Green and White earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament, advancing to the championship game for the first time since 2012.

The Vikings brought in a trio of Horizon League specialty awards; Jannis Schmidt (Player of the Year), Bojan Kolevski (Offensive Player of the Year), and Thomas M’Barek (Defensive Player of the Year). Cleveland State also received four All-League awards.

During the abbreviated spring 2021 season, Ubiparipovic led the Vikings to a 4-5 record, with four players earning Second Team All-Horizon League honors.

Thomas M’Barek was named the 2020-21 Senior Class Award winner in NCAA Division 1, which is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in men’s soccer. M’Barek became the first student-athlete from Cleveland State to win the award.

Ubiparipovic's first season at the helm saw the Vikings achieve their best winning percentage in four years. In the season opener, Ubiparipovic rallied his side from a two-goal deficit to earn a draw against nationally-ranked Louisville. His first road victory was also a big one, as it came courtesy of a 3-2 win at Ohio State, the second straight year he helped the Vikings topple the Buckeyes. In the final match of October, Ubiparipovic saw his team post a come-from-behind win over 2018 national finalist Akron, CSU’s first win over the Zips in nine years.

Ubiparipovic’s squad had successes at both ends of the pitch in his first season. Cleveland State allowed the fewest goals in the Horizon League, conceding just 17 times in 15 matches while getting a career year out of striker Gabriel Pewu. Under Ubiparipovic, Pewu put together the best offensive season by a Viking in over 15 years, tallying 19 points.

Pewu joined defender Thomas M’Barek in being named to the All-Ohio First Team, marking the first time since 2012 that a pair of Vikings earned that honor in the same season. Both Vikings were also tabbed Academic All-Ohio, giving CSU two of the four DI players to earn both athletic and academic statewide honors.

Ubiparipovic was elevated to the top spot after previously serving as the program’s top assistant. During the 2018 campaign, he helped the Vikings to a pair of wins over Power Five programs, the first such occurrence for the program in over 25 years. He also guided CSU to a win over eventual Horizon League champion UIC, one of just two defeats for the Flames in their last 19 matches against league opponents.

Ubiparipovic was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in the third round of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He played six seasons in the league, four with New York and two with Montreal. In that span, Ubiparipovic appeared in 82 games with 36 starts, scoring four goals and adding five assists as a midfielder.

In his first season in the league, Ubiparipovic played in 12 contests, helping the Red Bulls qualify for the playoffs. During the 2008 season, Ubiparipovic was a key piece in the Red Bulls' run to their first-ever MLS Cup Final under head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, the former Mexican national team manager. He started all four postseason matches, in addition to playing in 16 total that year. In his last year with the squad, Ubiparipovic helped New York finish in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Ubiparipovic moved to the Montreal Impact for the 2011 season and was recognized as the club's Newcomer of the Year. He then helped the side transition into the MLS during the 2012 campaign.

Ubiparipovic competed for the Ottawa Fury in 2014 and 2015, posting nine goals across 48 fixtures over the two campaigns. He helped the team to the fall season title in 2015 by posting five goals and six assists in the campaign. The squad only lost once in the fall season and subsequently earned a berth in Soccer Bowl 2015.

Ubiparipovic finished his playing career with the Indy Eleven, seeing action in 34 matches. He helped the Eleven to an undefeated record in the 2016 spring season and a berth in Soccer Bowl 2016, the second time in as many seasons he helped a team to its first Soccer Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Prior to joining the CSU staff as an assistant, Ubiparipovic was a member of the coaching staff for the U-17 and U-18 teams at Cleveland Soccer Academy Impact United. He also helped train high-level youth players when he assisted with the Fury FC Academy while playing for Ottawa.

The first-ever player from Akron to be drafted in the MLS SuperDraft, Ubiparipovic began his collegiate career at fellow Horizon League member UIC before transferring to the Zips program after one season. Ubiparipovic was a two-time All-American for Akron and was named the 2006 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year under then head coach Caleb Porter. Ubiparipovic scored 42 goals as a collegian, including a career-high 17 during his junior season. He was inducted into Akron’s Sports Hall of Fame in the fall of 2018.

Among the numerous teammates Ubiparipovic had in his professional career were former France national team captain Thierry Henry, former Mexico national team captain Rafael Marquez and former United States national team captain Claudio Reyna.

Ubiparipovic’s brother, Slavisa, was a two-time All-Horizon League First Team honoree at Cleveland State in 2008-09.

A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ubiparipovic earned a Bachelor's degree from Akron in sociology and criminology in 2006.