Jake Liechty

Jake Liechty joined the UCLA men’s water polo coaching staff in August 2026. Liechty was hired by head coach Adam Wright following seven seasons at UC Irvine, including the final two as an assistant coach.

Liechty helped guide his alma mater to a combined 33-21 record on the pool deck. The 2024 Anteaters went 18-9, securing the Big West Conference title with a 5-0 record in league games. They logged a top-10 finish in the Collegiate Water Polo Association poll.

Liechty added USA Water Polo to his coaching résumé in 2026, serving as an assistant at the World Aquatics U18 Championships in Rio Maior, Portugal. Team USA earned its first-ever silver medal at the event after outlasting Montenegro in semifinal-round play. Liechty has also served as head coach of the SOCAL Water Polo U18 club team.

As a student-athlete, Liechty totaled 31 goals, 66 assists and 40 steals across three seasons. He piled up 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) for the Big West champions in 2023, his final campaign. Liechty was also a standout in the classroom, earning Highest Honors on the Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll while collecting additional academic accolades from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches and UCI. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business economics and later added a master’s in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Liechty starred for Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, Calif. His brothers, Ben and Eli, were on UCLA men’s water polo’s back-to-back NCAA championship-winning teams in 2025 and 2024. Eli completed his eligibility in 2025, while Ben remains on the 2026 roster.