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BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The CWPA Remote interview series continues as Penn State Behrend head coach Joe Tristan talks with Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Director of Communications Ed Haas about the Lions’ women’s program, coaching at the Division III level and what advice he would offer to a coach starting out.

He recently completed his 17th season as head men’s and women’s water polo coach at Behrend after taking over the programs during the 2003-04 academic year.  During his time in Erie, Tristan has coached nine CWPA Division III Championship All-Conference selections and 13 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America honorees in women’s competition, while guiding 20 men’s All-America honorees.

Tristan joined the Behrend Lions after leading the women’s club water polo program at Eastern Michigan University. He also was an assistant coach for the Great Lakes Water Polo Club in Ann Arbor, MI. At EMU he coached a pair of all-conference players and directed the team to earn all-academic honors. From 1997-2002, Tristan was the head boy’s junior varsity coach for Huron High School.

A native of Southern California, Tristan played water polo and swam for Earl Warren High School. He also played water polo for Tulare Water Polo Club and for Eastern Michigan University in 1995-96. In 2000, Tristan competed and finished twenty-second in the United States Olympic swimming trials in the 200 meter freestyle.  From 1998-2000 Tristan was ranked in the FINA Top 20 and the top 100 in the World in the 200 meter and 100 meter freestyle events. Tristan was a vital part of a pair of EMU Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championship teams.  

 

Collegiate Water Polo Association