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The lull in news coming from USA Water Polo after the disappointing performance of the men’s national team at the London Olympics has ended. Jovan Vavic, who has built dominant programs at University of Southern California, was tabbed as interim Head Coach of the US Men’s National Team. Vavic, who just completed an undefeated regular season with the Trojans’ men’s team, will be attempting to win his fifth consecutive national championship with them in December. He will be assisted by UC Irvine men’s head coach Marc Hunt and Marko Pintaric, long time assistant with the USC squad. Vavic has also won multiple national championships with the USC women.
A source close to the university confirmed that Vavic would retain his coaching positions at USC while coaching the US men’s national team.
Former head coach Terry Schroeder, an American water polo icon who led the US men to a surprising sliver medal performance in Beijing in 2008, announced his resignation prior to the London games, where the veteran squad fell short of high expectations with an eighth-place finish. His assistants, Robert Lynn and Marco Palazzo, were not retained by the men’s national team.
The hiring process is not complete at USAWP, which recently listed an opening for Chief Administrative & Operations Office (CAOO), a position that will oversee operations of the national teams and growth of the youth programs. According to the job listing, the CAOO will “oversee National Team coaches at all levels.” Sources could not confirm whether the person would be responsible for hiring or firing coaches.
The Vavic-led national team will next compete at the Union Americana de Natacion (UANA) World Championship Qualification Tournament in Calgary at the end of January.
