Shirzad has been wrestling for more than 60 years since he was introduced to the sport as a youngster in Iran.

He has been a head coach at the Division I level (Hartford) and Division II level (American International College) and an assistant coach at the Division III level (Trinity, Western New England) along with being a head coach at Stafford High for 22 years (1989-2010) and Bloomfield for one season (1977).

Since 2014, Shirzad has been an assistant coach at Trinity College and continues to hit the mat with the Bantams during practice.

He tried out for the Olympic team in Iran (three times) and in the United States (four times). He was an alternate at 52 kilograms for Iran in 1976 and was third at the U.S. Olympic Trials at 52 kg in 1980. He was a four-time national champion in Iran (1969-72).

While coaching, Shirzad continued to compete, winning 28 U.S. national championships in the Veterans division (age 35 and over) and 16 Veterans world championships. He came to the U.S. to pursue degrees in higher education and became an American citizen in 1984. In 2015, he became the first American wrestler to win a Veterans world title in freestyle and Greco-Roman in the same year.

Throughout his career, Shirzad has taught science, biology, chemistry and physics at the high school and collegiate level. He is currently teaching at Eastern Connecticut State University. He and his wife, Monir, live in Coventry.

Posted by the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, May 2025