BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Bucknell University men’s and women’s water polo head coach John McBride will serve as video coach/an assistant coach for the United States men’s national team during the 2025 World Aquatics World Championships set for Friday-Thursday, July 11-24, in Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
McBride, who was named head coach at Bucknell in 2011, is in his third year as an assistant with the Senior Men’s National Team. An assistant coach for the United States Bronze Medal team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, he has served as head coach of the Northeast Zone Olympic Development Team since 2009.
Team USA, which claimed the Bronze Medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, will begin competition in Group C on Friday, July 11 when the United States opens play against Canada at 7:35 p.m. Pacific/10:35 p.m. Eastern. The Americans also meet Brazil and Singapore in group play.
Live streaming of the World Aquatics Championships is available on Peacock (login required).
For more information on the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, CLICK HERE.
2025 World Aquatics World Championships Schedule (subject to change)
July 11 – vs Canada 7:35 p.m. Pacific/10:35 p.. Eastern
July 13 – vs Brazil 6:00 p.m. Pacific/9:00 p.m. Eastern
July 16 – at Singapore 4:10 a.m. Pacific/7:10 a.m. Eastern
July 18 – Crossover Round
July 20 – Quarterfinal Round
July 22 – Semifinal Round
July 24 – Final Round
About John McBride: John McBride, who served as an assistant coach at Brown University the previous seven years, was named the head men’s and women’s water polo coach at Bucknell on May 18, 2011.
McBride has guided the Bison men’s and women’s water polo programs to tremendous success during his tenure in Lewisburg, winning more than 300 games. He led the men’s team to the 2012 Southern Championships title and the program’s first Eastern Championship title game appearance in nearly 20 years. In 2016, McBride led the program to its first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship tournament appearance since 1985 after winning the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship in Kinney Natatorium. In 2019, McBride led the program to one of its finest seasons in program history after winning its second MAWPC Championship in four years. The Bison went on to defeat previously undefeated Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. in the NCAA Championship play-in game, before bowing out to the University of Southern California (USC) in the national quarterfinals. The win for the Bison in the NCAA Tournament was the first for the program since the 1985 season. Bucknell returned to the NCAA Tournament in the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season, once again reaching the final eight.
On the women’s side, McBride’s teams annually take on extremely challenging schedules that have featured numerous ranked foes. In 2015, McBride led the women to their first .500 record since 2010 as the squad saw its win total rise for the second consecutive year. The Bison improved even more in 2016 as the win total soared to 18, the highest number for Bucknell since 2009. The Bison finished in fifth place at the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship, the team’s best showing since 2010. McBride was named the CWPA Coach of the Year following the regular season, making him the first Bison coach to be named Coach of the Year since 2010. In 2019, McBride led the team to 25 wins, one shy of the school record, and a third-place finish at the CWPA Championship, the highest finish in team history. On February 2, 2019, McBride became the coach in Bucknell history to record 100 wins with two different programs with a 16-6 win over La Salle University.
McBride has recruited and developed multiple All-America selections during his tenure at Bucknell. The most prominent was Rade Joksimovic, a four-time All-America honoree and MAWPC Player of the Year who was one of three finalists for the 2020 Cutino Award, which is given to the national player of the year.
While at Brown, McBride helped guide the Bears to unprecedented success. The men’s squad captured the 2009 CWPA Northern Division title, its first conference crown in nearly 25 years. Additionally, the team went undefeated in regular-season conference play in 2008 and finished as high as fourth at the Eastern Championship
On the women’s side, McBride led the Bears to back-to-back ECAC Championship titles in 2009 and 2010 and a fourth-place finish at the Eastern Championship, the best showing at Brown since 2001.
Both the men’s and women’s squads appeared regularly in the national top-20 rankings during McBride’s tenure, which also featured 43 All-Northern Division selections and 22 All-East players. Additionally, three Bears earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors. Brown’s men’s team had the highest team grade-point average in the nation for four years, while the women ranked in the top three nationally four times.
A goalie on the U.S. National “B” Team in 1993, McBride is a recognizable face in National Team circles. In addition to his duties as the men’s Northeast Zone Olympic Development Team head coach, he has served as head coach of the Southeast Zone Olympic Development Program. McBride has also spent time as an evaluator and coach at the women’s Speedo Top 40 Camp at Harvard. Among his many responsibilities with the National Teams, McBride evaluates and coaches the top 16 men from the East Coast to compete for spots on the U.S. National Team. He has also coached regional teams comprised of the best Northern California collegiate players and helps the U.S. Junior National Team Coaches bring the best players to represent the U.S. in international competitions. He was promoted to assistant coach with the U.S. Senior National Team in 2022.
A 1992 graduate of the University of Rhode Island and a four-year starter in goal as a member of the institution’s water polo program, McBride was a three-time First Team All-New England selection and twice garnered All-East First Team status.
