BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. — St. Francis College Brooklyn Director of Athletics Irma Garcia announced that Ilija Duretic ‘17 has been named the new men’s water polo head coach. Duretic, an alumnus of the College, was a four-year student-athlete on the Terriers’ men’s water polo team from 2013-17.
“We are excited to welcome Ilija back to the Terrier family as our new men’s water polo Head Coach. Ilija embodies the Franciscan mission as he is a servant leader; who achieved great success as a member of the men’s water polo team during his time as a student-athlete. He is a great role model for all of our student-athletes, and we look forward to an exciting season this Fall,” said Garcia.
Duretic takes over a Terriers men’s water polo program with great tradition. The team has captured 10 Collegiate Water Polo Championships and made four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four appearances over the course of its history. The program has produced a plethora of All-Conference award winners and All-America selections, as a Championship culture has been passed from generation to generation.
“I admire what this program represents and it’s an honor and privilege to come back to be the men’s water polo head coach at my alma mater, a place that is a big part of who I am today,” said Duretic as he discussed being named the Terriers’ head coach.
Duretic returns to the deck as the Terriers’ head coach after most recently serving as the boys’ and girls’ water polo head coach at Saint Andrew’s High School in Florida from 2019-2020.
Before he took over both programs at Saint Andrew’s, Duretic was the water polo head coach for the Florida Atlantic University water polo club from 2018-2019. While at FAU, he guided the team to a third-place finish in the Florida Division Championship of the CWPA.
His coaching career began right on Remsen Street as he was the water polo head coach for the Brooklyn Heights Water Polo Club for the U14 and U16 teams from 2013-2015.
As a student-athlete, Duretic helped lead the Terriers to the NCAA Final Four in 2013. During his freshman season, he was named CWPA Rookie of the Week twice, and scored three goals in the Terriers’ NCAA play-in game victory against the University of California-San Diego. All throughout his career as a student-athlete at St. Francis, he was a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Academic Honor Roll and received Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic Superior Team honors.
Duretic also achieved great success on the national level as a player. He was a four-time Junior National Champion of Serbia, as he was a member of the Serbian Junior National Team.
In addition to his role as men’s water polo head coach, Duretic will also serve as a women’s water polo Assistant Coach on head coach Alana Burgess’ staff.
Release courtesy St. Francis College Brooklyn Athletics Communications
