Episode 12 - Interview with Dan Leyson Head Men's Coach at UC Davis

04/01/19 • 68 min

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twitter: @dleyson

From the UC Davis athletic web site:

Leyson brought an immediate impact to UC Davis men's water polo, guiding the Aggies to an undefeated conference record in his first year. The 2015 squad then reached new heights: the program's best win-loss percentage (.692) since 2007 and the highest national ranking (No. 9) since 2011. For his achievements, Leyson was awarded the Monte Nitzkowski Distinguished Men's Coaching Award by USA Water Polo. He also served as the head coach for USA NorCal in the second season of the USAWP National League.

Never one to rest on laurels, Leyson continues to raise the bar for Aggie men's water polo. In 2016, the former U.S. National Team player and coach guided UC Davis to its first Western Water Polo Association championship and NCAA postseason appearance since 1997. Leyson was subsequently named as WWPA Coach of the Year. That 2016 squad set school records for wins (23), winning percentage (.793), goals scored (12.6 per game) and final national ranking (No. 10).

Leyson's experience in Spain later paid dividends in his coaching career: the 2015 Aggies took part in an eight-day team training camp at the Barcelona International Water Polo Academy.

After concluding his playing career in 1998 with Club Natacio Atletic-Barceloneta, a 1st-division Spanish team, Leyson embarked on his coaching career at USC where he assisted Vavic from 2000-02. The 2000 Trojans team finished third at the NCAA Championship.

Leyson gained valuable international experience from 2002-04 while working with Rudic on the U.S. National Team. The U.S. participated in the FINA World League, 2003 World Championships and 2003 Pan American Games before heading to Athens.

From 2005 until his arrival at UC Davis, Leyson served as head coach of the Rose Bowl Water Polo Club, which has tripled its membership to more than 200 members representing 70 schools during his tenure. He earned Best Coach accolades in the 2010 Ironman League while leading the 16-under boys team to the league's championship.

Leyson was named winner of the Bill Barnet Distinguished Men's Coach Award (Scholastic) from the U.S.A Water Polo Assembly in 2011. Three of his boys teams that year captured gold medals at the South Florida International competition. He also served as head coach for the California Coastal Zone for the Olympic Development Team (2006-07).

Leyson has served as UCLA's assistant coach for the past two seasons, helping them to a championship in the powerful Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and a pair of runner-up finishes at the NCAA Championships.

Leyson earned his undergraduate degree in business from USC in 1992 and his master's in physical education, with an emphasis on coaching, from Ball State in 2008.

He and his wife, Camille, are parents to daughter Mia and twin sons, Benjamin and Silas.

You can help support this podcast by making a donation via PayPal.

Thank you to everyone that has take the time to leave a review, send me an email or send me a tweet. It has truly meant the world to me!

Remember you can reach me on twitter @stevecarrera and on instagram @stevecarrera and you can email me [email protected]

************************************************************************************************************************

twitter: @dleyson

From the UC Davis athletic web site:

Leyson's experience in Spain later paid dividends in his coaching career: the 2015 Aggies took part in an eight-day team training camp at the Barcelona International Water Polo Academy.

Leyson earned his undergraduate degree in business from USC in 1992 and his master's in physical education, with an emphasis on coaching, from Ball State in 2008.

He and his wife, Camille, are parents to daughter Mia and twin sons, Benjamin and Silas.

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Episode 11 - Interview with Felix Mercado Head Men's and Women's Coach at Brown

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Remember you can reach me on twitter @stevecarrera and on instagram @stevecarrera and you can email me [email protected]

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Twitter: @FelixMM021

Felix Mercado enters his 12th season as the head coach of Brown University’s men’s and women’s water polo teams in 2018-19 having coached 23 all-conference performers and 10 All-Americans on the men’s side alone during his time with the Bears.
Mercado led the Brown men’s team to its first appearance in the NCAA Championship since 1990 in 2014 after the team claimed its first CWPA title since 1985. He guided the team to a 27-7 overall mark and its first Northern Division title since 2009. In 2014, he gained both CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year honors and Dick Russell Coach of the CWPA Tournament accolades while mentoring a pair of All-Americans in Henry Fox ’15 and Will Klein ’16.
In 2016, Mercado guided the Bears to their third straight regular season title, claiming the inaugural NWPC regular season championship. Mercado won NWPC Coach of the Year accolades and coached NWPC Player of the Year Luke Weiser ’17 and a pair of ACWPC All-Americans in Yahel Murvitz-Lahav ’17 and Jake Wyatt ’17.
The 2015 edition of Mercado’s men’s team won a second consecutive CWPA Northern Division title and notched an undefeated 12-0 mark in CWPA Northern Division play during the regular season. Klein earned CWPA Northern Division Player of the Year accolades while he and Matty Gallas ’16 garnered All-American status.
During the 2017 season, Mercado guided the Bears to their eighth straight 20-win season with a 21-12 overall record. He coached a trio of All-NWPC performers in Tommy Bush ’18, Rico Burke ’18, and Tyler Kirchberg ’18 as well as an ACWPC All-America selection in Kirchberg. In the spring, Mercado organized special exhibition matches with the Puerto Rico National Teams, providing the teams with training opportunities as the island continued to recover from Hurricane Maria.
In 2018, Mercado mentored four All-NWPC performers in Travis Bouscaren ’19, Armen Deirmenjian ’20, Hudson Rawlings ’20, and Riad Hallal ’21. The Bears concluded the year with an 18-14 record, marking their ninth straight season with 18 or more wins.
In 2013, Mercado led the men's water polo team to its fourth straight 20-plus win season that culminated in a 15-9 victory over Harvard to earn fifth place at the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championships. Mercado mentored two CWPA Northern Division First Team picks in James McNamara ’14 and Fox.
Mercado’s men’s side posted a 29-4 mark in 2012 with Svetozar Stefanovic ’13 earning All-America honors for the fourth straight season in addition to his fourth consecutive Northern Division Player of the Year award. Under Mercado, the Bears went 20-12 in 2010 and 21-11 in 2011.
Mercado enjoyed a banner year in 2009 as the men's water polo team won a Northern Division title and the women's team claimed an Eastern College Association Conference (ECAC) championship. Mercado took home CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year at Brown, earning the honor on the women’s side in 2008 and 2009 and on the men’s side in 2007.
Mercado was hired in the summer of 2007 as Brown's men's and women's water polo coach. He spent the two seasons prior to coming to Brown at the helm of the MIT men's varsity and women's club teams after one year as an assistant.
In 2006, he was named CWPA Division III and CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year after leading MIT's men's team to a second-place finish at the Division III Eastern Championship and the team's third-ever appearance at the Division I Eastern Championship. He posted a 26-34 record in Cambridge, as the Engineers attempted to integrate 12 freshmen into the program in 2006 after a 15-14 record in 2005.
In two years as the coach of the MIT club women's team, Mercado's squads posted a 30-3 record, making back-to-back appearances at the Club National Championships. He was named the North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2007. Mercado also served as an assistant coach at Hartwick College in the spring, as the Hawks finished fifth at the NCAA Championship.
Before arriving in Cambridge, Mercado spent 11 years coaching a...

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Episode 13 - Interview with Ricardo Azevedo the Head Technical Director of Brazilian Water Polo

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Thank you to everyone that has take the time to leave a review, send me an email or send me a tweet. It has truly meant the world to me!

Remember you can reach me on twitter @stevecarrera and on instagram @stevecarrera and you can email me [email protected]

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From the site - http://azevedowaterpolo.com/about/ricardo-azevedo/

Azevedo is regarded as one of the most dynamic water polo coaches in the history of the sport. In a career spanning four decades, he has coached water polo at the high school, college, and Olympic levels in at least eight countries. Born in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Azevedo competed for the Brazilian National Water Polo team from 1973-1981. In 1974 he moved to the USA, where he became an All-American water polo player for Long Beach State University.

Azevedo began his water polo coaching career at Wilson High School in Long Beach California where, as head coach, he led teams to five finals and four Championships. Following this success, he coached at Long Beach State University, heading both the men’s and women’s water polo programs. From 1996-2004 Azevedo worked with water polo legend Ratko Rudic to coach the USA Men’s Water Polo Team (he served as head coach of Team USA from 2005-2007).

Azevedo then moved to Italy where he became the first-ever American citizen to coach a professional European water polo team (Rari Nantes Camogli). Over the past five years he has coached both the men’s and women’s Chinese Olympic teams, substantially improving their level of play and fitness.

In addition to these professional commitments, Azevedo unofficially coached and mentored his son Tony and daughter Cassandra – both of whom played professional water polo. Tony became a 5-time Olympian and one of the best water polo players of the century.