Michigan Selects Anderson as Head Water Polo Coach

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior associate athletic director Megan McCallister announced Tuesday (Oct. 1) the hiring of Matt Anderson as women's water polo head coach. Anderson comes to Michigan after spending last season as an assistant coach at Indiana University, and the 2000 and 2001 seasons as an assistant at San Jose State. He replaces Amber Drury-Pinto, who resigned Aug. 30 to become head coach at the University of California-Berkeley.

Anderson

"Matt Anderson brings to Michigan a passion as an educator, a great knowledge of water polo and a commitment to the academic mission of the institution," said McCallister. "We are thrilled to have Matt as a member of the Michigan family."

"Michigan is an outstanding school both athletically and academically," said Anderson. "They have two of the most outstanding swimming and diving programs in the nation that can only help to improve water polo. Michigan has a history of taking care of its Olympic sports and I am looking forward to working with the other coaches associated with Michigan's great tradition."

Anderson spent last season as an assistant coach at Indiana, where he was responsible for recruiting and conditioning for the Hoosiers. During his tenure at Indiana, the Hoosiers improved from No. 20 in the nation to No. 14, achieving the program's highest ranking to date. Prior to coaching at Indiana, Anderson was an assistant coach at San Jose State (2000-01), where he helped lead his alma mater to a school-best No. 5 national ranking.

Anderson also was an assistant coach with the men's national 18-and-under youth 'A' team and the head coach of the national youth 'B' team for the past four years (1999-2002). He was part of the coaching staff that led the national team to second in the Belgrade Cup, third in the Balkan Games and third in the Odysseus Cup. As head coach of the 'B' team he led the squad to the 2000 Santa Barbara International Tournament Championship. This past August, Anderson's team won the bronze medal at the International Youth Championships in Santos, Brazil.

From 1997-2001 Anderson served as the zone six head development coach for the boys 19-and-under development area camps in the second largest water polo member zone in the United States. His responsibilities included recruitment, selection and implementation of water polo programs for future Olympians.

Before coaching in the collegiate ranks, Anderson achieved over 200 victories in 11 years as a coach at the high school level. He was the head coach as Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, Calif., from 1993-2000. Over that time he compiled more than 170 victories, three league titles and one finals appearance in the CIF/CSS divisional palyoffs. In 1999 he was named the California Interscholastic Federation/C.C.S. Honor Coach of the Year for his devotion to students and the game of water polo at the high school level.

Prior to coaching at Los Gatos, Anderson was the head coach of boys water polo and head coach of girls and boys swimming at Newbury Park High School in Thousand Oaks, Calif., from 1991-93, and the head coach of boys water polo at Santa Clara High School in Santa Clara, Calif., in 1990.

Before entering the coaching profession, he spent seven years as the city youth coordinator for Sunnyvale, Calif. In that position he was responsible for school to career development for area youth, including programs for at-risk and teen parents.

Anderson earned his bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in literature from San Jose State in 1990.

Contact: Paul Dickerson, Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

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