Episodes
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Brian Flacks, Stanford University Men's Head Coach
Brian Flacks was named the new head coach at Stanford University on March 23, just a couple weeks after Jon Vargas' surprising departure. He'll take over as the men's varsity head coach, only the fifth in the history of that storied program which has won 11 national titles. That's a lot, but not...
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Cal's Four-Time NCAA Champion Coach, Kirk Everist
He just led the men of Cal Berkeley to an NCAA title for the fourth time in his career with a dramatic one-goal win over USC in last weekend's final match. He's one of the most celebrated water polo personalities in America: a USA Water Polo hall of famer, three time All-American player at Cal...
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Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Coach Adam Krikorian
He would never 'fess up to it but after leading the USA women to their third consecutive gold medal (perhaps a fourth in Paris?) he can fairly be called "legendary." He's Adam Krikorian, one of the world's best at his craft if the collection of hardware tells us anything. The medals are important...
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"Best Center in the World," Ben Hallock
We continue our series on the Tokyo Olympic Games with a conversation with Ben Hallock, described by at least two men - Dejan Udovicic and Alex Bowen - as the “best center in the world.” He and his USA teammates finished sixth in the tournament and he’s headed back to Champions League winners Pro...
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Alex Bowen talks Mixed Results for USA Men in Tokyo
A continued look back at the recently completed Tokyo Olympics. Alex Bowen finished the men's tournament as its fourth highest scorer. Team USA experienced some good results – a win over Italy perhaps the highlight – but also some less than desirable ones. Bowen helps dissect the tournament with...
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"Doesn't Feel Like it's Real." Haralabidis on Winning Gold
She warned us prior to the Games that her team was not "invincible," and she turned out to be very much correct. But Stephania Haralabids and her teammates were able to rally from the USA Senior Women's program's first defeat in a couple years to overcome some physical opponents, stiff…
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Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist Alys Williams
Alys Williams was the final cut from the 2016 USA Women's National Water Polo Team, as NBC informed us just a few times during the Tokyo Olympics. Williams recovered from that setback quite nicely and now has a heavy, shiny 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal to hang on her office wall. In a very...
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Tokyo Olympian, Greek-American, Stephania Haralabidis
One of the most interesting stories about this monster roster that is the USA Women's Olympic Water Polo Team, which is expected to win gold beginning on July 24 in Tokyo, is Stephania Haralabidis. Born and raised in Greece but already a dual citizen she made the tough decision to try for a spot…
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Nevada's First Water Polo Olympian, Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson made waves in the US water polo community as a high schooler from Reno, Nevada who went on to excel at the University of the Pacific and now takes his place on the USA Men's Water Polo roster for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He joined James Smith and Michael Randazzo to talk about his...
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NCAA Champion, UCLA Head Coach Adam Wright
In his 12 years as Head Coach of the UCLA Men's team Adam Wright has won four NCAA Championships, including one just a few weeks ago. In 2017 he became head coach of the Bruins women and was in Bloomington, Indiana earlier this week with that second-ranked team to take on the Hoosiers in a…
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Indiana University Head Coach Taylor Dodson
Taylor Dodson took over as Head Coach of the Indiana Hoosiers in 2019 and led them to a 13-5 record and a top 20 ranking in her first wild season. She returns for her second pandemic-affected season and currently ranks 15th in the CWPA coaches’ poll with a very challenging schedule. They took on...
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Brian Flacks, Paul Splitt on Waterpolo During Covid
Covid has had profound effects on water polo as it is practiced throughout the United States. This conversation is hopefully the first of several in which we discuss exactly how the pandemic has altered high school and club programs in a variety of states and localities. Brian Flacks is a now...
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CDM Coach and Olympic Champion Melissa Seidemann
Today one of the most accomplished water polo athletes in US history: a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Cutino award winner while starring for National Champions Stanford, she recently took the reins at one of the most prestigious programs in the USA, Corona del Mar High School. It’s Melissa...
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A Conversation with the Undersung Chris Oeding
This week we feature Chris Oeding, who has quietly become one of the best coaches in the country. He’s currently an assistant on the USA Women’s Senior National Team, and is Head Coach at Long Beach City College, which he’s led to seven California state community college championships. At Corona...
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A Conversation with Alex Obert, US Men's Senior Team Standout
One of the USA's already-risen stars is from a small town in Central California. Loomis' Alex Obert never made an ODP travel team, and when he was first called up to the US Men's National Team upon the arrival of Head Coach Dejan Udovicic, it was his first ever time on any USA squad. We talk to…
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Austin Ringheim and Max Schlegel, Head Coaches at MIT and Johns Hopkins
The title says it all. Michael Randazzo and James Smith spoke with two of the rising young coaching talents in the collegiate ranks. Austin Ringheim and Max Schlegel are both recent hires at MIT and Johns Hopkins. Their schools are among the most challenging in the US and are now even more so…
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Mt. St. Mary's HC Alyssa Diacono, Canada's Jessica Gaudreault, and LaSalle Men Cut
On a day when another collegiate varsity program is cut we dive in to a more positive story. Alyssa Diacono was announced as head coach for the new program at Mt. St. Mary's in Maryland way back in pre-lockdown days. We speak with her about her new job and her time as an athlete in Australia and...
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Westcliff's Djippov, Aussie Anteater Nioka Thomas & Olympian father Nathan
We've threatened to do it for too long. Now it's here. It's the first of hopefully many Total Waterpolo Podcasts. Today we feature two conversations. First, Total Waterpolo contributor Michael Randazzo speaks with Nioka and Nathan Thomas from Australia. Nioka will be the first non-American on the...