BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Following a 2018 season in which the University of Michigan repeated as Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Champion, acquired a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship berth and finished with a 32-9 record, assistant coach Josh Hower will acquire additional duties in 2018-19.
Hired in December, 2017, Hower’s position changes as part of a 2017-18 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I legislation rule adjustment. The rule adjustment pertains to a limitation on the number of coaches who may be employed by an institution and who may contact or evaluate prospective student-athletes off campus. Per the NCAA rule change, the number increased from two to three as he joins head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi and assistant coach Sydney Sonoda.
Hower came to Ann Arbor from Corona, California, where he kept himself very busy in a variety of coaching roles. He served as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s water polo teams at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (2015-17), coached in the Olympic Development Program (ODP), was an age group coach at Foothill Club Water Polo and coached at both St. Lucy Priory and Chino high schools.
His responsibilities at Pomona-Pitzer included leading the recruiting efforts for the women’s team, while implementing a strength and conditioning program for both teams. He also contributed to scouting reports and video analysis and organized travel for the teams. During his time at Pomona-Pitzer, Hower helped coach the women’s team to a 2017 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship and the men’s team to 2016 and 2017 SCIAC Championships.
At Foothill Club he became the girl’s High School Program Director in August, 2017 after serving as an age group coach (12U boys) from 2014-17. Some of his top finishes were second place at the 2017 U.S. Club Championships, 2017 KAP7 Orange County Tournament and 2016 San Diego County Cup.
For two seasons (2016-17), he was the head coach of the girl’s water polo team at St. Lucy Priory and from 2013-17 he was the head coach of aquatics at Chino High School. His notable finishes included leading the Chino girls team to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 7 semifinals in 2015 and the Chino boys team to the 2017 CIF Division 5 semifinals and 2016 CIF Division 6 quarterfinals.
With the ODP program, Hower has been the Coastal Zone Youth Coach since 2016 and coached at the 2017 boy’s youth national team selection camp. He also coached at the Holiday Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2015-16.
Hower graduated with a degree in history from Whittier College in 2005. He was a two-year captain for the Whittier College men’s water polo team, leading the 2004 team to the school’s first SCIAC Championship. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of that championship team.
Information courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
