Krivak's first coaching experience came at Madonna High School in Weirton, West Virginia, where he spent 11 seasons, eight as head coach, and won a state Catholic title.
Assistant coach
He then served as an assistant coach at Syracuse for five years under head coach Ben Schwartzwalder. From 1974 to 1976, he served as an assistant coach at Maryland under head coach Jerry Claiborne. He then spent five years coaching at Navy under George Welsh. In 1982, he returned to Maryland to join Bobby Ross's staff as the quarterbacks coach. Krivak was also responsible for the wide receivers and had a significant role in running the offense. Krivak was the offensive play caller for Maryland's 42–40 win over Miami in the Orange Bowl, where the Terps rallied from a 31–0 halftime deficit. It was a game which stood as the greatest comeback in college football history for twenty-two years. At Maryland, Krivak tutored several future NFL quarterbacks: Boomer Esiason, Neil O'Donnell, Frank Reich, Stan Gelbaugh, and Scott Zolak.
Maryland
After the 1986 season, he was chosen to be the successor to Ross and promoted to Maryland head coach at the age of 51. Krivak had previously been a finalist for a head coaching position during his tenure at both Syracuse and Navy, and in 1982 when Maryland hired Ross. As head coach, Krivak accumulated a 20–34–2 record and one minor bowl game appearance, the 1991 Independence Bowl, in which Maryland tied Louisiana Tech, 34–34. One of Krivak's most notable accomplishments at Maryland was a tie game. In 1989, Maryland tied Penn State, 13–13, with a last-minute field goal. When the game was last played in 1993, the all-time series record stood at 35 Maryland losses, one win, and one tie. The tie game broke the Terrapins' 24-game losing streak against Penn State. Krivak's signature win however, was the 1990 upset road win against #8 and Sugar Bowl bound Virginia. Following the 1990 season, new athletic director Andy Geiger and Krivak agreed to a five-year contract extension. Krivak tendered his resignation after posting a 2–9 record during an injury riddled 1991 campaign. After the season, athletic director Andy Geiger had initiated a review of the program, which included interviews with the players, some of whom directly criticized Krivak to Geiger. With his resignation, Krivak cited a loss of credibility in the face of the criticism from his players.
Return to assistant coaching
In 1993, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Bobby Ross, then head coach of the San Diego Chargers was interested in hiring Krivak after his dismissal, but was dissuaded by general managerBobby Beathard, who wanted someone with NFL coaching experience. In 1995, Krivak took over as quarterbacks coach for Virginia under George Welsh, his former boss at Navy. In 1996, Virginia offensive coordinatorTom O'Brien left to take the head coaching position at Boston College, and during the Carquest Bowl, Krivak called the offensive plays in the interim. Virginia lost to Miami, 31–21. Some observers expected Krivak to be promoted to the position full-time, but in February 1997, Welsh said he was considering calling plays himself without an offensive coordinator. Krivak resigned from the staff shortly afterward. Krivak then ran football camps for youth players in the Mid-Atlantic area.
