ANN ARBOR, Mich. — University of Michigan Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced the appointment of Cassie Churnside as the program’s fourth head women’s water polo coach.
“I am thrilled to welcome Cassie to U-M as our head coach,” said Manuel. “Cassie is highly regarded in the water polo community and has demonstrated high character throughout her ascension from a national championship student-athlete to a successful coach and mentor.”
“First, I would like to thank Warde Manuel for this opportunity,” said Churnside. “I am very excited about the opportunity of leading the Michigan women’s water polo program. Being able to work at an institution with such a high caliber of scholar-athletes, and an athletic department that has a history full of traditions and competitive success is a dream come true. I can not wait to step on campus and begin this great journey with these amazing women.”
Churnside comes to Ann Arbor after eight seasons (2014-2022) as an assistant men’s and women’s coach at Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) rival Harvard University.
Named an assistant coach at Harvard in June 2014, she helped the Crimson compile a 171-50 mark in men’s competition and a 132-73 record in women’s play.
In men’s action, Harvard posted Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championships (2016, 2017, 2019) to accompany 20 or more wins in 2014 (22-10, 7th Place – CWPA), 2015 (21-10, 3rd Place – CWPA), 2016 (27-7, 1st Place – NWPC), 2017 (24-8, 1st – NWPC), 2018 (22-8, 2nd – NWPC), 2019 (29-1, 1st – NWPC) and 2021 (26-6, 4th – NWPC) with the 2020 season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Crimson achieved four 20-win seasons in women’s competition during her tenure in Cambridge. Following back-to-back sixth place finishes at the CWPA Championship in 2015 (20-13) and 2016 (24-10), Harvard notched fourth place marks in 2017 (15-14) and 2019 (21-8) to bookend an eighth place finish in 2018 (17-19).
Following a 12-2 abbreviated season in 2020 and a 2021 campaign lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, Churnside helped lead the Harvard to its inaugural CWPA Championship game appearance in 2022 as the Crimson faced the Wolverines with Michigan claiming a 10-4 victory. The Crimson went on to post a 23-7 overall record, the second-highest single-season win total in program history. The seven losses also marked the least amount in varsity program history, barring the shortened 2020 season. In addition, the Crimson boasted a quartet of All-Conference honorees, including Zoe Banks, Inde Halligan, Grace Thawley and Evan Tingler. All four student-athletes also gained Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America honors, including a spot on the third team for Halligan.
A native of Orange, Calif., Churnside is not unfamiliar with competing at the highest collegiate levels of the sport as she helped lead the Stanford University Cardinal to a 100-8 record during her four years in Palo Alto as the team finished 24-3 (2009), 25-3 (2010), 26-1 (2011) and 25-1 (2012). Further, she aided Stanford in winning the 2011 and 2012 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships following second (2010) and third (2009) place marks.
A 2012 graduate of Stanford with a bachelor of arts in Communications with
A 2008 graduate of Villa Park High School in Villa Park, Calif., she earned All-America honors all four years to become the inaugural VPHS player to accomplish the feat. The all-time leading goal-scorer in VPHS history, she helped lead team to Century League titles in all four seasons. Further, the team reached the CIF Southern Section Semifinals in 2005, 2007 and 2008, and achieved a title game berth in 2006.
The 2005, 2007 and 2008 Century League Most Valuable Player (MVP), Churnside was part of the U.S. Youth National Team from 2005-07. She played on teams that won the gold medal at the 2006 Pan-American Junior Games in Montreal and went undefeated in youth tournament action in Sydney, Australia in 2007.
In addition, she played club water polo for Breakers in 2005 and SET from 2007-08. In 2007, she helped her SET team reach the championship game of the Open Tournament at the U.S. Water Polo Top 40 Festival.
What They’re Saying about Cassie Churnside:
“I am so excited, happy, and proud of Cassie. She is not only an amazing coach and leader but an even better person. I am going to miss seeing her every day here at Harvard! She has worked so hard to set herself up for this opportunity, and I know she will excel.” – Ted Minnis, The Friends of Harvard Water Polo Head Coach, Harvard University
