BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Harvard University men’s and women’s water polo coach Ted Minnis discusses recruiting, coaching and more with Game On Live Studio’s Shawn Stringham at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif., during the 2026 Junior Olympics.
The James Herscot ’58 Coach of Excellence, Minnis enters his 17th year as The Friends of Harvard Water Polo Head Coach in 2026-27.
The 10th coach in Harvard men’s and women’s water polo history, he has led the Crimson women’s team to the 2025 and 2026 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championships to accompany the 2016, 2017 and 2019 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) men’s crowns.
In addition to his time in Cambridge, Mass., Minnis – who recently completed his 36th season coaching water – came to Harvard after serving as the interim director of athletics, aquatics director and head water polo and swim coach as Castilleja School in Palo Alto, Calif.
A veteran coach at the Stanford Club, he won two Junior Olympic bronze medals, a U.S. Club Championship and finished among the top 10 at various national tournaments numerous times during his 10-plus years of service. Minnis served as the head coach for the Olympic Development Program Pacific Zone for three years and in 2009 worked with the National Youth team staff. Most recently, his teams picked up a pair of silver medals at the 16 and Under Olympic Development Regional Championship and Zone Championship.
In 2007, Minnis was named the USA Water Polo Development Coach of the Year and in 2005 and 2007 was a Positive Coaching Alliance finalist for Coach of the Year.
