Men's Water Polo
Berg, Max
Max Berg
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mberg@athletics.ucla.edu
UCLA Head Coach Adam Wright hired former UCLA men’s water polo player Max Berg to the post of assistant coach effective Sept. 15, 2023.
Berg, who replaces Joey Fuentes, played four seasons for the Bruins from 2019-22 and was a four-time ACWPC All-Academic honoree.
A two-time MPSF All-Academic Team selection (2020 and 2022), he was also a member of the 2020 NCAA National Championship team (contested in 2021) and served as a team captain in 2022.
He also was a three-time Pac-12 Fall All-Academic Team selection (2020-22) and was named to the 2020 UCLA All-Academic Team (the person with the highest GPA on each team). He also was on the UCLA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for 11 quarters.
“I am thrilled to have Max Berg join our coaching staff and return home to our Bruin family,” Wright said. “He’s a very smart person, knows our system and the way we like to do things, but will also push us to do some things differently so that we keep evolving. He was one of our brightest student-athletes and excelled in the classroom and will be a great fit for our culture. His ability to connect with people will be important to help us in recruiting and nobody is in a better position to convey what it is like to be a student-athlete at UCLA. Max walked onto our team and from the very first day, set out to show and earn the respect of his teammates. He is truly one of the special ones. He started with a tryout, ended up a National Champion, and was a champion in the classroom as well.”
While this is his first coaching stint, he has had several jobs around water, most notably serving as a seasonal ocean lifeguard for the Marine Safety Division of the Long Beach Fire Department since 2019. He also served as a Junior Lifeguard Prep Class Instructor for the LBFD, which was an inner city extension program to improve swimming skills of underserved youth. The program instructed kids on swimming techniques and water safety.
He also served as a volunteer at the Casa Colina Land Meets Sea Sports Camp and Outdoor Adventures from 2016-19. The camp is for people with neurological and physical disabilities to help them experience water sports and land-based activities and sports.
Berg earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Sciences and Integrated Biology at UCLA in June of 2023.
Berg, who replaces Joey Fuentes, played four seasons for the Bruins from 2019-22 and was a four-time ACWPC All-Academic honoree.
A two-time MPSF All-Academic Team selection (2020 and 2022), he was also a member of the 2020 NCAA National Championship team (contested in 2021) and served as a team captain in 2022.
He also was a three-time Pac-12 Fall All-Academic Team selection (2020-22) and was named to the 2020 UCLA All-Academic Team (the person with the highest GPA on each team). He also was on the UCLA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for 11 quarters.
“I am thrilled to have Max Berg join our coaching staff and return home to our Bruin family,” Wright said. “He’s a very smart person, knows our system and the way we like to do things, but will also push us to do some things differently so that we keep evolving. He was one of our brightest student-athletes and excelled in the classroom and will be a great fit for our culture. His ability to connect with people will be important to help us in recruiting and nobody is in a better position to convey what it is like to be a student-athlete at UCLA. Max walked onto our team and from the very first day, set out to show and earn the respect of his teammates. He is truly one of the special ones. He started with a tryout, ended up a National Champion, and was a champion in the classroom as well.”
While this is his first coaching stint, he has had several jobs around water, most notably serving as a seasonal ocean lifeguard for the Marine Safety Division of the Long Beach Fire Department since 2019. He also served as a Junior Lifeguard Prep Class Instructor for the LBFD, which was an inner city extension program to improve swimming skills of underserved youth. The program instructed kids on swimming techniques and water safety.
He also served as a volunteer at the Casa Colina Land Meets Sea Sports Camp and Outdoor Adventures from 2016-19. The camp is for people with neurological and physical disabilities to help them experience water sports and land-based activities and sports.
Berg earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Sciences and Integrated Biology at UCLA in June of 2023.
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