BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Former Bucknell University men’s and women’s water polo coach/Executive Director of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC)/University of California-Irvine Associate Athletic Director for Health, Wellness and Sports Performance John Abdou discussed his experience in water polo and more on the Game On Live Studio Extra Pass podcast.
The Chief Sport Performance Officer for USA Water Polo from 2017-to-2022, he also held the position of High Performance Director from 2013-2017. He was a co-chair for the USAWP Task Force on Racial Equity and Reform as well as served on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Council on Racial and Social Justice.
While at USAWAP, Team USA has had unprecedented success. The women’s team won gold medals at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the men’s and women’s teams capturing gold medals at the 2015 and 2019 Pan American Games, plus nine combined medals at FINA World League Super Finals, Women’s World Cups gold medals in 2014 and 2018, and number of combined medals at the World University Games, Junior and Youth International competitions. Abdou oversaw the growth of the Olympic Development Program, more than tripling the number of athletes involved in the process from start to finish.
Prior to his time at USA Water Polo, the 2001 graduate of UC-Irvine with degrees in sociology, psychology, and education served as the Associate Head Men’s Coach at the University of California-Santa Barbara (2011-2013) following a five year tenure as head coach at Bucknell (2005-210).
He went on to add a master’s degree in higher education from Bucknell University in 2012 as well as a certificate in Olympic Nonprofit Leadership at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in 2019.
