BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Bucknell Magazine, the official publication of Bucknell University, catches up with former Bison head men’s and women’s water polo coach John Abdou.
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Named High Performance Director of USA Water Polo in November 2013, and promoted to the position of Chief High Performance Officer in February 2017 he was promoted to Chief High Performance Officer, Abdou oversees the Olympic Development Program in addition to coach and referee education and development. Working in unison with Senior National Team Head Coaches Adam Krikorian and Dejan Udovicic, Abdou assists in implementing their technical vision throughout the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and the USA Water Polo club system.
Formerly the Associate Head Coach for men’s water polo at the University of California-Santa Barbara and Director/Boy’s Head Coach of the Santa Barbara Water Polo Club, Abdou spent five years at Bucknell, the last two serving as head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs following three years as an assistant coach under John Zeigler. Within USA Water Polo, Abdou has remained active in the National Team pipeline in his position as ODP East Region Technical Director since 2008. Since 2010 he has also been a part of the coaching staff of the Men’s Senior National “B” Team.
A former social science teacher at Burbank High School, Abdou competed for the University of California-Irvine men’s water polo team earning his undergraduate degree in sociology in 2001. He added a masters degree in education from Bucknell in 2009.
