Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1997
- Class:
- 1976
Derya O. Yavalar was a four-year men's soccer standout from 1972-75. While more than 40 years have passed since he played his final college match for GW, Yavalar still shares the school record for most goals scored in a match (5) and remains among the top 10 in career goals (34) and points (80).
Yavalar was a key factor in the Colonials' earning their first appearance in the NCAA men's soccer tournament in 1974. As a junior, he scored 15 goals in 11 matches and was 28th in the nation in scoring while earning All-South soccer team honors in '74 as selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association. He also earned All-South honors in '75 playing for Coach Georges Edeline, a 1988 GW Athletic Hall of Fame electee.
A native of Izmit, Turkey, Yavalar came to America in 1970 and enrolled at Lewiston (N.Y.) Porter High School as a senior. There he learned to speak English and led his soccer team to its first championship. He then earned a college scholarship to GW and helped develop the young Colonials program while also maintaining a 3.5 GPA and gaining an electrical engineering degree from the University. Yavalar also earned a master's degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins in 1989.
President/CEO/Founder of Omni Communications, Inc., Yavalar lives in Baltimore with his wife, Mary Doherty-Yavalar. He has a daughter, Selin, who played on the GW women's soccer team and a son, Aksel.
