University of Redlands Women's Water Polo

Gielen was named the Head Women's Water Polo Coach in August 2014.    Gielen became just the second head coach in the history of the Bulldog program, which dates back to 1994.  He replaced longtime head coach, Tom Whittemore, who took on more administrative responsibilities as the Chair of the Physical Education Department while also remaining at the helm of the Bulldog men's water polo program. Equipped with a unique repertoire of skills, Gielen joins the Bulldog family as an experienced water polo coach, chef, and instructor.  While working with the men and women at Pomona-Pitzer, he gained outstanding experience with a successful program that won a combined five conference titles since 2005.  He played an integral role in recruiting student-athletes, developing practice plans, implementing fitness training, and much more.  In his final year with the Sagehens, he was named the Associate Head Coach. In addition, he served as the Head Coach of the Foothill Club Water Polo boys' 18-and-under team for three seasons.  During that stint, he guided the squad to two top-five showings. Outside of water polo, Gielen offers the experiences of working as a Chef Instructor in a post-secondary program for more than seven years.  He also possesses a background as a strength and fitness trainer, ski instructor, and martial artist. Gielen began his educational career with an Associates of Science in Applied Sciences at Citrus Community College before completing his degree in Culinary Arts through Le Cordon Bleu.  The consummate student with a sincere desire to learn, he then earned his Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Cal State Fullerton and most recently received his Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University. As a student-athlete, Gielen was named the Citrus College Male Athlete of the Year in 1998 after earning First-Team All-America honors, First-Team All-Southern California, and First-Team All-Conference honors in water polo.  His team also named him the Most Valuable Offensive Player that season.

Following the announcement of Head Men's Water Polo Coach's Tom Whittemore's retirement, Ryan Hall has been named Head Coach as of January 2020. He returned to Redlands as the first full-time Assistant Water Polo Coach in July 2018.  He gained quality experience as the Head Men's Water Polo Coach and Assistant Women's Water Polo Coach at McKendree University (IL) for one year prior to rejoining the Bulldogs. In December 2023 Hall led the Bulldogs to their second USA Water Polo National Championships. They defeated Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 15-6 in the semifinal before losing by one, 6-5, to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) in the championship game. The Bulldogs finished 22-10, their most wins since 2008 while they went 11-1 in SCIAC, the 11 conference wins set a new program record which dates back to 1959. Andrew Higginson scored 66 goals, the 10th most in program history. Roberto Barrera had 28 steals, the 10th most among goalkeepers in program history. Higginson along with Dean Moody were named fist team All-Americans. Barrera and Ron Gvishi made the second team. In fall 2023 Hall was inducted into the 26th class of the University of Redlands Athletics Hall of Fame as one of eight former Bulldog athletes/teams honored.  Hall was named the 2022 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Division III National Coach of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to their first USA Water Polo Division III Collegiate Water Polo National Championship, beating host Cal Lutheran 11-6. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 17-15 overall record and a 5-6 SCIAC record. The 17 wins is the most for the Bulldogs since 2016 when they won 18. They also finished second in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament, their best ever finish. The Bulldogs had a 12-win improvement from 2021, the program's biggest turnaround from one season to another.  At the national championships Drake Moody, Liam Murphy, and Andrew Higginson were named to the All-Tournament Team with Murphy being named Most Valuable Player. Murphy, Higginson, and Ron Gvishi were all named ACWPC All-Americans. In SCIAC, Alec Abrahamian and Gvishi were named to the All-SCIAC Second Team. In 2016, he led the USA Olympic Development Coastal Zone Youth Program and specifically coached the boys’ team to a championship at the National Selection Tournament at nearby Riverside Community College.  Hall’s previous stint at Redlands began in 2013 and continued through 2016. As a graduate assistant for both water polo teams, he completed his Master of Arts in High Education.   He remained on the pool deck for the subsequent year before taking the job at McKendree.  Prior to coaching at Redlands, Hall gained experience as a teacher and coach in the Pacific Northwest.  As an undergraduate, he competed for the Bulldogs under Head Coach Tom Whittemore.  En route to completing his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Hall put together an impressive water polo résumé that culminated in being tabbed the 2007 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Athlete of the Year.  He garnered First-Team All-America and First-Team All-SCIAC accolades each season of his four-year career.  Hall’s name remains scattered about the Redlands records book, as he ranks fifth all-time in goals (194), fourth all-time in steals (200), and fifth all-time in ejections drawn (160). This well-rounded athlete also contributed to the high-octane offense of then-Head Coach Gary Smith’s men’s basketball team that reset multiple NCAA and school records for scoring in 2005-06.  Hall later competed for the more traditional style of basketball under Head Coach Jim Ducey in 2007-08. After graduation, Hall gained international playing experience by competing in semi-professional water polo in Sydney, Australia, in 2009-10. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, going to the beach, camping, and being outdoors.  He currently resides in Redlands.