BRONX, N.Y. — Brian Bacharach, a 2006 All-America selection and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion at the University of California-Berkeley, was promoted to co-head water polo coach per Fordham University head coach Bill Harris.
Bacharach begins his seventh season with the Fordham water polo program, serving the first five as an assistant coach before being promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2018.
“Brian has done a tremendous job with our program over the past six years and I’m happy that he decided to take on the role as co-head coach,” said Harris. “He has been able to use his vast experience in the sport, both as a student-athlete and as a coach, to elevate the Fordham program over the past six years. Brian is a pleasure to work with and is a fine role model for our athletes.”
“I want to thank Coach Harris and Athletic Director David Roach for this great opportunity,” said Bacharach. “The past six years at Fordham have made me realize what a special place it is and I’m excited to see what the future brings for Fordham water polo. Coach Harris has set the vision and standard for this program at a high-level and I look forward to continuing to work together toward those goals.”
With Bacharach on staff, the Rams have seen sustained success, posting three straight winning seasons (2015-17), five straight seasons of at least 16 wins (2014-18), and a Top 20 national ranking for the first time since the 1980s.
In 2017, Bacharach helped the Rams to their first national ranking since the 1980s, and a fourth place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship. Individually, three Rams earned MAWPC All-East Division honors with Massimiliano Mirarchi and Jake Miller-Tolt earning First Team honors with Mirarchi also being named Rookie of the Year, while Alex Jahns picked up Second Team honors. Mirarchi was also an Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America Honorable Mention selection. The team was also recognized by the NCAA for its Academic Progress Rate (APR) score for the fifth time, while ten Rams were named to the ACWPC All-Academic Team.
The Rams followed that up with another fourth place finish in the MAWPC Championship in 2018, led by Miller-Tolt earning ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention accolades after becoming the second Rams’ player ever to have 100 goals in a single season. He also earned First Team MAWPC All-East Division, while teammates Ian Watson and Bailey O’Mara garnered Second Team accolades.
2016 saw the team finished third at the inaugural MAWPC Championship, while having a pair of MAPWC honorees as R.J. Simmons was named First Team All-East Division, while Miller-Tolt was Second Team All-East Division. In addition, seven Rams were honored ACWPC All-Academic and the MAWPC Scholar-Athlete Awards.
In his first year on the staff in 2013, Bacharach helped lead Fordham back to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship, earning its first berth in three years. Individually, three Fordham players earned CWPA All-Northern Division honors, led by Nicholas Allen and Ori Raz, who both scored at least 50 goals on the season, while goalkeeper Noah LeBeau made a career-high 291 saves.
In year two, the Rams once again appeared at the CWPA Championship, earning an at-large berth. Individually, two players earned CWPA All-Northern Division honors with LeBeau garnering First Team status and Simmons receiving Second Team honors.
Prior to Fordham, Bacharach wrapped up a stint as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University, where he helped guide the Lions to the 2010 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship.
Bacharach finished his career at Cal with 141 career goals, including a team-best two in the 2006 NCAA National Championship, which Cal defeated the University of Southern California. It was the Bears 12th national title and Bacharach was one of the Bears’ team captains for the second consecutive season.
As a senior for the Bears in 2006, he was a ACWPC Honorable Mention All-America selection, as well as an Mountain Paciic Sports Federation (MPSF) All-Academic and a ACWPC All-Academic selection. For his career, he was a four-time MPSF All-Academic and ACWPC All-Academic selection.
After graduating Cal in the spring of 2007, Bacharach went on to play professionally in Australia for the Cronulla Sharks.
In the fall of 2007, he returned to De La Salle High School, this time as a teacher and coach. He taught math and psychology while also serving as assistant varsity coach for the boys’ water polo team through the spring of 2009. He helped De La Salle earn North Coast Section (NCS) Runner-up honors in 2008, while claiming East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) title in 2008 and 2009.
In addition to his teaching duties, Bacharach ran the men’s side of the Diablo Water Polo Club of Moraga, Calif., for three years (2007-09), leading the 18-under team to its three highest finishes in the program’s 12-year existence.
Release courtesy Fordham University Athletics Communications
