CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Dr. G. Anthony Grant, Department of Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation (DAPER) Head and Director of Athletics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), announced the hiring of Alyssa Diacono as Head Coach of Men’s Water Polo/Physical Education & Wellness Instructor. The founder and current coach of Appalachia Water Polo, Diacono is a dedicated and accomplished coach with a proven track record of success in collegiate and age group water polo.
“I am very excited to welcome Alyssa to MIT,” said Dr. Grant. “With her outstanding background as a water polo player, both as a student-athlete at the Division I level and as a professional player in international waters, and her coaching experience, with USA Water Polo and at the collegiate level, I am confident that she has the skill set, technical knowledge and the leadership acumen to position our men’s water polo program for continued success.”
In addition to her responsibilities with Appalachia Water Polo, Diacono is currently the Women’s Cadet National Team Leader at USA Water Polo. She was formerly the first-ever head coach of men’s and women’s water polo at Mount St. Mary’s University from March 2020-to-August 2023.
“I am deeply honored to accept the position as Head Coach of Men’s Water Polo and Physical Education & Wellness Instructor at MIT,” said Diacono. “I would like to extend my heartfelt thank yous to Dr. Anthony Grant, Aaron Aaker, and the entire search committee for this incredible opportunity. I am excited to contribute to the rich legacy of excellence at MIT and look forward to guiding our student-athletes to winning in and out of the water. Go Tech!”
Diacono spent two seasons as a women’s graduate assistant coach on the staff of Curtis Robinette at Mercyhurst University from 2018-2020 before taking over as the head coach of men’s and women’s water polo at Mount St. Mary’s University in March of 2020. Despite challenging circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped lead both the men’s and women’s teams at “The Mount” to winning records by each of the program’s third seasons, as the women’s team qualified for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) quarterfinals in 2022-23.
Following her tenure at Mount St. Mary’s, Diacono was the Assistant Director of Operations & Community Programs at Fairmont State University. She also has prior coaching experience at the high school level, including an eight-year tenure as an assistant coach at Tesoro High School and an internship with the Mission Viejo Nadadores Swim Team.
Diacono earned her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Mercyhurst in 2020 and a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Sciences from San Diego State University in 2017. She also holds certifications as a Personal Trainer, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and Nutrition Coach.
A four-year standout water polo student-athlete at San Diego State, Diacono was a two-year captain and a two-time Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Honorable Mention All-America selection in 2015 and 2016. She was named a Golden Coast Conference (GCC) First Team Selection in 2015 and 2016 and earned a GCC All-Tournament Team selection in 2015 and an honorable mention All-GCC selection during her first season in 2014. In addition to her accomplishments in the pool, Diacono was a four-time GCC All-Academic and ACWPC All-Academic honoree.
She concluded her career with 158 goals, 90 steals, 23 assists and 17 saves as the Aztecs won four consecutive GCC regular season titles and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2016. She was named SDSU’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year and nominee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Woman of the Year Award in 2017. Following her collegiate career, she played water polo professionally, for the University of Western Australia Women’s Water Polo Team and the The Exiles Sports Club in Malta.
Information courtesy the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications
