BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Former University of California-San Diego men’s collegiate club head coach Hector Sanchez is the inaugural inductee to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Collegiate Club Hall of Fame.
Sanchez, who retired from coaching following a 10-year tenure after leading the Tritons to the 2024 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Florida, guided the UC-San Diego men’s club team to three consecutive National Collegiate Club Championships (2022, 2023, 2024), four consecutive National Collegiate Club Championship title game appearances (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), six Top Five finishes at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship (First – 2022, 2023, 2024; Second – 2021; Third – 2019; Fifth – 2018) and six-consecutive division championships and National Collegiate Club Championship berths (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 – Southwest; 2019 – Pacific Coast) in nine-years as the 2020 men’s collegiate club season was not contested due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The only coach in the history of the sport to lead a men’s team to three consecutive National Collegiate Club Championships – as the only other three-time consecutive champion (Lindenwood University) was led to the title by a pair of head coaches (Greg Emde – 2015, Dave Miller – 2016, 2017) along with standing as the only head coach to lead a men’s team to four consecutive National Championship game title game appearances (2021, 2021, 2023, 2024), Sanchez earned a pair of Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Coach of the Tournament awards (2019, 2022) and posted six division Coach of the Year nods (Southwest – 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024; Pacific Coast – 2021).
“Hector is an incredible coach,” stated UC-San Diego All-America athlete Graham McClone. “He is deeply passionate about water polo and shares this passion with the team through his coaching. While I have had many coaches who have a lot of experience and posses the skill to be successful in the game, Hector is among an elite group of coaches in his tactical intelligence and ability to use rules of the game to design creative plays that utilize the strengths of a team.
Sanchez posted a 110-13 record during his tenure in La Jolla, including a 45-game winning streak dating back to a 12-11 loss to Michigan State University in the 2021 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship title game at the Huntsville Aquatics Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
At the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship, he posted a 21-3 record with his lone losses coming to eventual National Champions Lindenwood University (7-3 L in a 2018 quarterfinal at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.; 11-9 L in a 2019 semifinal at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Michigan State (2021 in the National Championship game at the Huntsville Aquatic Center). The mark stands as the best four-year winning percentage (.875) by a men’s collegiate club head coach at the National Collegiate Club Championship.
“What makes him worthy of being inducted to the CWPA Hall of Fame is the compassion with which he cultivates his relationships and athletes and the way that he treats everyone he comes across,” added McClone. “He has committed himself entirely to UCSD’s team intellectually, emotionally and with his time and effort. We are forever grateful for the program he has built and the community of players that make up our team and alumni.”
2024 Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion – University of California San Diego
2023 Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion – University of California San Diego
2022 Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion – University of California San Diego
2021 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Second Place – University of California San Diego
2019 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Third Place – University of California San Diego
2019 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Fifth Place – University of California San Diego
