BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University’s women’s water polo team has hired Imani Clemons as assistant coach for the 2026-2027 season.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Imani to Indiana,” said Indiana head coach Taylor McInerney.
“She is an exceptional person with tremendous character, and her experience and perspective as both a player and coach will make an immediate impact on our program. Imani shares our vision for the future of Indiana water polo and our commitment to building a program that consistently competes for championships. Most importantly, she will be a great resource for our student-athletes and be an incredible addition to the culture we’re continuing to build.”
Clemons played four years (2022-25) at the University of California-Santa Barbara before moving into a full-time role as assistant coach in 2026. The Laguna Beach, Calif. native scored a career-high 50 goals in her senior season and appeared in 110 games for the Gauchos. She was named to the 2025 All-Big West honorable mention team. She also had eight hat tricks in her final season while appearing in 28 games.
“Water polo has been a huge apart of my life for as long as I can remember growing up in California and later playing and coaching at UCSB,” Clemons said. “Transitioning into the Big Ten has been such an exciting step. I am looking forward to contributing to such a high level program and joining a group of women who push each other, support one another, and compete every day.”
Clemons was also a two-time Big West Academic All-Conference honoree as she graduated from the school in May 2025 with a degree in sociology.
Indiana will complete its final season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) in 2027 prior to rejoining the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) in June 2027.
Information courtesy Indiana University Athletics Communications
