Kirk Everist Named U.S. Water Polo Head Cocah for World University Games

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California, March 6. USA Water Polo has named two-time Olympian and University of California Men's Head Water Polo Coach Kirk Everist as Head Coach for the United States entry at the upcoming World University Games. The Games, set for July 1-12 in Belgrade, Serbia will feature the elite in college age water polo athletes. Everist will be joined by Long Beach State Head Coach and fellow two-time Olympian Gavin Arroyo, Pepperdine Head Coach Jack Kocur, and Salem International University Assistant Coach Nikola Malezanov.

"It is a great honor to be asked to coach the US Team at World University Games in Belgrade. I am very excited at the opportunity to work with the best collegiate athletes in the country as well an outstanding staff. Assistant coaches Gavin Arroyo, Jack Kocur, and Nikola Malezanov have had great success with their university programs and I they know will do a great job with this team," said Everist.

Everist, a water polo veteran recently concluded his seventh season on the sidelines for Cal winning back to back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. A co-head coach of the Lamorinda Water Polo Club he is a Cal graduate, where he propelled the Bears to national championships in 1987 and 1988 as a player. He earned NCAA All-American status from 1986-88 and was named the NCAA National Player of the Year in 1988. Everist went on to play for the United States National Team for nine years (1988-96) and was a member of the USA Olympic Team at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games. He also competed on America's gold medal winning water polo teams at the 1991 World University Games and 1995 Pan American Games.

Arroyo completed his third season at Long Beach State in 2008 where he also serves as the Head Coach of the women's program. A 1994 graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, Arroyo was a first team All-American at Cal in 1993. He was a part of three NCAA Championship squads at Berkeley (1990, 1991, 1992). Arroyo competed on the U.S. National Team for eight years (1993-2000). The U.S. men's team won the 1997 FINA Cup and the 1995 and 1999 Pan American Games championships. He also competed on the U.S. men's team at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.

Kocur is coming off his third season at Pepperdine University where he took over for Men's Olympic Team Head Coach Terry Schroeder. Kocur is a Pepperdine graduate and was a member of their 1997 National Championship Team. Kocur trained with the U.S. National Team for six years on a consistent basis after graduating from Pepperdine. During his tenure with the national team, Kocur competed in more than 125 international games. He helped the American squad win the 1998 U.S. Open and finish fourth at the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 1999 French Open.

Malezanov serves as an assistant for the West Virginia based Tigers in the West Region of the Southern Division of the Collegiate Water Polo Association. He played professional water polo in the Serbia Top 8 League for 3 years. He has been very successful in national age group competitions for players in the 12, 14, 16 and 18 year age groups. In addition he participated in several Serbian national training camps and clinics for young players.

Team USA has had success in the event earning consecutive first place finishes in 1991 and 1993. The 1991 title came under the direction of UC-Irvine's Ted Newland in Sheffield, England while the most recent championship team was guided by the late Steve Heaston of Cal in 1993 in Buffalo, New York. The United States last competed in the World University Games in 2003 in Daegu, South Korea claiming an eighth place finish.

"I have personally competed in two World University Games (1987 in Zagreb and 1991 in Sheffield) and I have always felt these games were a springboard to the Olympic Games. I am very happy that USA Water Polo has put this back into the Men's National Team development plan, I know it will be an invaluable developmental experience for the athletes," added Everist.

"The World University Games will be an important component of the Olympic Development pipeline. We are excited to bring the WUGs level back into the ODP and it will only make our pipeline stronger," said Director of Olympic Development Guy Baker.

Special thanks to USA Water Polo for contributing this report.

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