Men's Water Polo
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- awright@athletics.ucla.edu
Adam Wright begins his 17th season as UCLAโs head menโs water polo coach in 2025ย with an overall record of 370-68ย (.845) and an MPSF mark of 72-25ย (.742). Wright is the head coach for both the UCLA men's and women's teams as on July 20, 2017, then UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย wouldย guide both programs.
His teams have been successful in and out of the water, earningย perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2022 whileย winning NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015,ย 2017, 2020, and 2024.
Wright guided the Bruins to a 26-2 overallย record in 2024, culminating with an 11-8 win over USC for the 13th NCAA Championship in UCLA's storied past. It also marked the 124th NCAA title in the Bruins' history, the second-most of any university in the nation.
He also helped produce the Bruins' fourth different Peter J. Cutino Award winner in Ryder Dodd in 2024. Dodd was the third player under Wright and the fifth overall on the UCLA men's side, to win the Cutino Award (Nicolas Saveljic in 2021 and Garret Danner in 2016). Dodd also became the first player in MPSF history to be named the Player of the Year and the Newcomer of the Year in the same season.
The 2024 NCAA Championshipย was Wright's ninth NCAA title overall and his fifth as the head coach of the UCLA men's team (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024). He also won two as a player at UCLA (1999 and 2000), one in 2024 as the head coach of the women's program, and one more as an assistant coach with the women's team in 2009. All five of his NCAA titles as the head coach on the men's side have come in victories over USC.
The Bruins also finishedย 5-1 in MPSF play in 2024, leading to the league's top seed in the MPSF Championship tournament. As the top-ranked team for the majority of the season, UCLA posted 20 wins over top 15 ranked opponents, 13 wins over the top 10, and six over the top five. The Bruins allowed double-digit goals in just nine of their 28 contests, while reaching that threshold offensively in all but one game. UCLA placed a league-high nine players on the 2024 Delfina All-MPSF teams, and became the first in league history to sweep the three major awards for two consecutive years. Wright wasย named theย MPSF Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career (2024, 2023, 2017, and 2011).
The Bruins had the best record in the country in 2023 at 26-3 (.897), but fell one win short of the NCAA Championship, falling to California, 13-11, in the finals. UCLAย opened the season with 24 consecutive victories, tying for the third-best mark in school history (1968-70). Wright guided theย Bruins to an unbeaten 23-0 regular season, the first undefeated regular season in the MPSF since UCLA's 2015 team. Eight of UCLA's wins were against MPSFย West teams, including seven against top fiveย competition, and 16 of the 23 overall wins came against top 10 opponents. The Bruins scored in double-digits in all 23 contests, and held opponents to single-digits 16 times. UCLA placed an MPSF-high nine players on the All-MPSF teams in 2023, including four on the first team. Wright was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the third time in his career (2011, 2017, 2023), and the third such recognition overall for UCLA Men's Water Polo.
The Bruins finished 20-4 (.833) in 2021, winning their sixth MPSF Championshipย with an 11-10 win at Stanford. UCLA finished the season ranked third in the final CWPA poll.
The Bruins won their 12th NCAA Championship in program history in 2020 (on March 21, 2021) with a 7-6 win at USC to end the COVID-shortened season with a 9-7 record overall (5-5 in the MPSF). UCLA has won four of the last eight NCAA titles in men's water polo. Nicolas Saveljicย was named Player of the Year while Wright was named Coach of the Year by the ACWPC. Saveljicย also wonย the 2020 Peter J. Cutino Award, the second Bruin to win the award since Wright took the helm.
The 2017 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year forย UCLA, which lost eight seniors in 2015 and another nine in 2016 to graduation. The Bruins had six true freshmen on their roster playing major minutes and also had a redshirt sophomore goalkeeper playing for the first time as a full-time starter in NCAA competition.ย But despite the fact that they were picked to finish fourth by the league coaches, they matured into a strong defensive unit that held the nation's top offensive team in their home pool to just five goals, winning the programs' 11th national title and UCLA's 114th NCAA Championship with a 7-5 win at USC on Dec. 3, 2017. The Bruins finished the year at 21-4. Wright was named the ACWPCย National Coach of the Year for the third time (2014, 2015 and 2017) in his career and was named the MPSFย Coach of the Year for the second time (2011 and 2017).
In 2016, the Bruins completed a stellar season (25-3) that saw the squad set NCAA, UCLA and MPSF records for consecutive victories that dated back to the 2014 campaign. On Oct. 8, 2016, the Bruins set a UCLA record and tied the NCAA record with 51 consecutive wins with a 9-5 win at No. 4 Pacific. The next day (Oct. 9) the Bruins made history again, posting a 15-8 victory at No. 11 UC Davis to break the NCAA all-time record for consecutive victories in menโs water polo at 52 straight wins. Before it was all said and done, the Bruins ran their record-setting winning streak to 57 games while also setting a UCLA and MPSF all-time league winning streak to 26 games.
He was named the 2015 ACWPC Division I Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after guiding UCLA to its 10th NCAA Championship in school history (113th overall at UCLA) with a 10-7 win over USC. The Bruins ended the year with a 30-0 record and went a perfect 9-0 in the MPSF for its second-consecutive undefeated league season. UCLA also went 4-0 on the year against USC. The undefeated overall season was the first for UCLA since the 1969 team went 19-0, marking the fourth undefeated season all-time in NCAA menโs water poloโs modern history.
Under Wrightโs guidance, 82 Bruins have secured ACWPC All-America honors, including 23 first team honorees. He has also produced seven Olympians for Team USA. In 2016 UCLA sawย Josh Samuels and Alex Roelseย don the red, white, and blue and then at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the Bruins were represented by Alex Wolf and Max Irving. In 2024, UCLA was represented by Chase Dodd, Ryder Dodd, and Max Irving at the Paris Olympics.
Also under Wright's tutelage, goalkeeper Garrett Danner was UCLAโs first player to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Year in 2013 and in 2016 became just the second Bruin to win the Cutino Award and the third overall winner as UCLAโs Sean Kern won the first two awards in 1998 and 1999. Wright has produced three MPSF Players of the Year, including Danner in 2015 and again in 2016 and Scott Davidson in 2009, who became the first Bruin to secure MPSF Player of the Year honors since 2000 (Sean Kern).
Wright was also named the 2014 ACWPC Division I Coach of the Year after guiding UCLA to its ninth NCAA Championship in (112th overall at UCLA) with a 9-8 win over USC. The Bruins were 29-3 overall and went 8-0 in the MPSF for the first time since 2004, the last previous national title year.
A former standout in the pool at UCLA, Wright competed in his third Olympics for the USA Menโs Water Polo Team in July of 2012 in London.
Named UCLAโs fourth head coach in program history on June 3, 2009, Wright has guided the Bruins to four MPSF Tournament titles (2009, 2011,ย 2015, and 2021), five NCAA titles (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2024) and four runner-up finishes at the NCAA Tournament in his previous 16 seasons at the helm of the UCLA program.
UCLA won MPSF Tournament titles in 2009 and 2011 and advanced to the title match of the NCAA Tournament both seasons.ย Wright was named MPSF Coach of the Year in 2011 after having led UCLA to the MPSF Tournament title and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Tournament. UCLA was 24-5 overall in 2011 and won the MPSF Championship withย three consecutive overtime wins, all by one goal, to win the tournament title. UCLA edged USC, 10-9, in sudden victory overtime in the championship match before a standing room only crowd at the Bruinsโ Spieker Aquatics Center.
UCLA advanced to the 2011 NCAA Championship match with a 10-1 win over UC San Diego, its best defensive effort in any NCAA Tournament match since 1971. The Bruins lost a 7-4 decision to crosstown rival USC in the championship match.
In 2009, UCLAโs path to the NCAA Tournament came as a result of hard work, discipline and a strong finish at the MPSF Tournament, culminating in the Bruinsโ first conference tournament title since 2000. After opening MPSF play with consecutive losses in October, Wright knew that the Bruins would have to win the MPSF Tournament to have any chance at playing for a national title. He adjusted the teamโs practice and conditioning regimen, preparing the Bruins for the three-day tournament setting.
After finishing fourth in the MPSF regular-season standings, UCLA surged in the conference tournament. The Bruins opened with an 8-5 win over No. 5-seed Pepperdine and downed No. 1-seed and tournament host USC, 10-6, the following day. UCLA claimed the tournament title with a 10-7 win over No. 3-seed California, which was fresh off an upset of No. 2-seed Stanford.
Prior to his tenure as head coach, Wright was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA from 1997-2000, helping lead the Bruins to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1999 and 2000. Following his collegiate career, he served as a key member on the USA National Team, participating in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games. He helped lead Team USA to a seventh-place finish in 2004 (Athens) and to a silver medal in 2008 (Beijing).ย Wright continued training with the USA National Team while serving as UCLAโs head coach and retired as a player after competing at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Wright served as an assistant coach with the UCLA menโs and womenโs water polo teams during the 2008-09 school year. He helped guide the womenโs program to an unprecedented fifth consecutive NCAA championship in May 2009. Following the 2008 menโs water polo season, Wright played an integral role in securing the top menโs recruiting class in the nation.
Wright got his coaching start as an assistant coach with the varsity boyโs and girlโs water polo teams at Wilson High School (Long Beach, Calif.) from 2001-04. He helped coach the boyโs program to four consecutive CIF Division I championships and Moore League titles. Wright coached the girlโs team to two Moore League titles.
As a senior at UCLA in 2000, Wright scored 39 goals before earning honorable mention All-America acclaim and second-team All-MPSF honors. In 1999, he secured third-team All-America and second-team All-MPSF honors. That season, Wright led UCLA in assists (27) and was second in total points (48) and steals (39).
In his first two seasons, he scored 43 goals - 26 as a freshman and 27 as a sophomore. He gained second-team All-America honors in 1998 and was an honorable mention All-America and All-MPSF selection as a freshman in 1997.
Wright graduated from UCLA in 2001 with degrees in history and sociology.
Following his collegiate career, Wright competed in the European League (Italy and Russia) for Bissolati Cremona, Civitavecchia SNC, Nuoto Catania and Dynamo Moscow from 2004-08. He has competed for the U.S. National Team in all major tournaments from 2001-11, helping lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games as well as the 2005 ASUA Cup (Mexico City).
Wright is married to Kerry Norris, a former UCLA womenโs soccer player. He and his wife reside with their daughter, Rome, and son, Zsolt, in Los Angeles.
