University of California - Los Angeles - UCLA Men's Water Polo

Wright begins his eighth season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2016 with an overall record of 181-30 (.858) and an MPSF mark of 48-9 (.842). His teams in 2015 and 2014 both earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000. He was named the 2015 ACWPC Division I Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after guiding UCLA to its 10th NCAA Championship in school history (113th overall at UCLA) with a 10-7 win over USC. The Bruins ended the year with a 30-0 record and went a perfect 9-0 in the MPSF for its second-consecutive undefeated league season. UCLA also went 4-0 on the year against USC. The undefeated overall season was the first for UCLA since the 1969 team went 19-0, marking the fourth undefeated season all-time in NCAA men's water polo's modern history. The Bruins enter 2016 with a 33-game winning streak (second-longest in school history) and a 24-game winning streak in the MPSF. Under Wright's guidance, 45 Bruins have secured ACWPC All-America honors, including 13 first team honorees. He has also produced two Olympians for Team USA in 2016 in Josh Samuels and Alex Roelse. Under his tutelage, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Garrett Danner was UCLA's first player to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Year in 2013 and in 2016 became just the second Bruin to win the Cutino Award and the third overall winner as UCLA's Sean Kern won the first two awards in 1998 and 1999. Wright has produced two MPSF Players of the Year, including Danner in 2016 and Scott Davidson in 2009, who became the first Bruin to secure MPSF Player of the Year honors since 2000 (Sean Kern). Wright was also named the 2014 ACWPC Division I Coach of the Year after guiding UCLA to its ninth NCAA Championship in (112th overall at UCLA) with a 9-8 win over USC. The Bruins were 29-3 overall and went 8-0 in the MPSF for the first time since 2004, the last previous national title year. A former standout in the pool at UCLA, Wright competed in his third Olympics for the USA Men's Water Polo Team in July of 2012 in London. Named UCLA's fourth head coach in program history on June 3, 2009, Wright has guided the Bruins to three MPSF Tournament titles (2009, 2011 and 2015), two NCAA titles and three runner-up finishes at the NCAA Tournament in his seven seasons at the helm. UCLA won MPSF Tournament titles in 2009 and 2011 and advanced to the title match of the NCAA Tournament both seasons. In 2010, the Bruins finished in a tie for second place in the MPSF regular-season standings and posted a fourth-place finish at the MPSF Tournament. In 2012, the Bruins fell to USC in the national championship game 11-10. Wright was named MPSF Coach of the Year in 2011 after having led UCLA to the MPSF Tournament title and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Tournament. In 2013, Wright guided the Bruins to the nation's best record in the country at 28-4. UCLA also defeated six-time defending champion USC two out of three times that season and lost all four games during the season by a combined total of five goals. But the Bruins lost their last two games of the MPSF Tournament, an 11-10 setback to Stanford in the semifinals and a 10-9 defeat to Pacific in the third-place game, and were not selected to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins produced another great season under Wright in 2012, going 28-5 with a 7-1 mark in MPSF play. UCLA also had a solid season in 2011, going 24-5 with a 6-2 record in conference action. UCLA entered the MPSF Tournament with a 20-4 record, before recording three consecutive overtime wins, all by one goal, to win the tournament title. UCLA edged USC, 10-9, in sudden victory overtime in the championship match before a standing room only crowd at the Bruins' Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA advanced to the 2011 NCAA Tournament championship match with a 10-1 win over UC San Diego, its best defensive effort in any NCAA Tournament match since 1971. The Bruins lost a 7-4 decision to crosstown rival USC in the championship match. In 2009, UCLA's path to the NCAA Tournament came as a result of hard work, discipline and a strong finish at the MPSF Tournament, culminating in the Bruins' first conference tournament title since 2000. After opening MPSF play with consecutive losses in October, Wright knew that the Bruins would have to win the MPSF Tournament to have any chance at playing for a national title. He adjusted the team's practice and conditioning regimen, preparing the Bruins for the three-day tournament setting. After finishing fourth in the MPSF regular-season standings, UCLA surged in the conference tournament. The Bruins opened with an 8-5 win over No. 5-seed Pepperdine and downed No. 1-seed and tournament host USC, 10-6, the following day. UCLA claimed the tournament title with a 10-7 win over No. 3-seed California, which was fresh off an upset of No. 2-seed Stanford. Prior to his tenure as head coach, Wright was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA from 1997-2000, helping lead the Bruins to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1999 and 2000. Following his collegiate career, he served as a key member on the USA National Team, participating in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He helped lead Team USA to a seventh-place finish in 2004 (Athens) and to the silver medal in 2008 (Beijing). Wright has continued training with the USA National Team while serving as UCLA's head coach and competed at the 2012 Olympics in London. Wright served as an assistant coach with the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams during the 2008-09 school year. He helped guide the women's program to an unprecedented fifth consecutive NCAA championship in May 2009. Following the 2008 men's water polo season, Wright played an integral role in securing the top men's recruiting class in the nation. In addition, Wright served as an assistant coach with the varsity boys and girls water polo programs at Wilson High School (Long Beach, Calif.) from 2001-04. He helped coach the boys program to four consecutive CIF Division I championships and Moore League titles. Wright coached the girls team to two Moore League titles and two CIF Division I quarterfinal playoff appearances. As a senior at UCLA in 2000, Wright scored 39 goals before earning honorable mention All-America acclaim and second-team All-MPSF honors. In 1999, he secured third-team All-America and second-team All-MPSF honors. That season, Wright led UCLA in assists (27) and was second in total points (48) and steals (39). In his first two seasons, he scored 43 goals - 26 as a freshman and 27 as a sophomore. He gained second-team All-America honors in 1998 and was an honorable mention All-America and All-MPSF selection as a freshman in 1997. Wright graduated from UCLA in 2001 with degrees in history and sociology. Following his collegiate career, Wright competed in the European League (Italy and Russia) for Bissolati Cremona, Civitavecchia SNC, Nuoto Catania and Dynamo Moscow from 2004-08. He has competed for the U.S. National Team in all major tournaments from 2001-11, helping lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games as well as the 2005 ASUA Cup (Mexico City). Wright, 39, is married to Kerry Norris, a former UCLA women's soccer player. He and his wife reside with their daughter, Rome, and son, Zsolt, in Los Angeles.

Falitz has also coached in the collegiate world, serving as an assistant coach at Los Angeles Valley College from 2007-14, helping guide the Monarchs to the Western State Conference Championship in 2014. He served one season (2012) as a volunteer assistant for UCLA Head Coach Adam Wright, coaching the Bruins' Water Polo Club at the 2012 Fisher Cup. Most recently, he served in the same capacity for UC Davis Head Coach and former Bruin assistant, Daniel Leyson, during the 2014 campaign. He spent five years (2007-11) as the Boy's 18U Head Coach at the Rose Bowl Water Polo Club. He guided the team to back-to-back-to-back gold medals at the South Florida International Tournament (2009-11) and also guided them to a first place finish at the United State Club Championships in 2010. Falitz had an extensive playing career, which began at John Burroughs High School. A four-year varsity starter, he was Burroughs' single season record holder for goals (202) and was the school's all-time career scoring leader with 455 goals. A two-time All-American and three-time All-CIF selection, he was named the Almont League MVP in 1999 and that same year was the and All-Area Player of the Year. He played club ball at Harvard Water Polo Foundation from 1997-2000 under former Olympic Coach Rich Corso. He then went on to play at Long Beach State from 2000-02, redshirting the 2000 season. He would later play at Los Angeles Valley College in 2006 where he was named a two-time First Team All-American and the 2006 Western State Conference Player of the Year and the 2006 Los Angeles Valley College Male Athlete of the Year. /