CWPA Coaches Corner: Carthage College Head Coach Seth Hughes Discusses “Coaching Your Peers” and “Two-Meter Play”
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Carthage College head women’s varsity water polo coach Seth Hughes discussed “Coaching Your Peers” and “Two-Meter Play” in the second “Coaches Corner” webinar presented by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).
The presentation has a purpose to help club teams have the resources & confidence to run productive practices and manage their programs throughout their season.
All presentations are open for collegiate club, varsity, fans, officials and the general public to view at no cost.
Named head coach at Carthage in August 2023, Hughes previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan during the 2022-2023 season.
Prior to his tenure at the University of Michigan, Hughes made significant strides in the coaching arena. His experience includes a successful stint as the Head Water Polo Coach at Kearns Water Polo in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 2018 to 2022. During his tenure, he led the women’s high school team to three state championships (2018, 2019, 2022) and guided the men’s high school team to a state championship in 2021. His leadership was widely recognized, with Hughes earning the title of Utah Water Polo Coach of the Year on five occasions (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022×2).
Hughes’ influence also extended to the Olympic Development Program (ODP), where he served as a coach for the Mountain Zone Youth Boys Team. His expertise in identifying and nurturing talent led to his recognition as the Top Coach at the ODP Boys National Championship in 2022. Additionally, Hughes was selected as an Assistant Coach for the USA Water Polo Youth National Team Futures Trip in Budapest, Hungary, further solidifying his reputation as a coaching standout.
A native of Chicago, Ill., Hughes started his collegiate career at the University of Illinois-Chicago prior to attending the University of Utah starting in 2017. At Utah, he joined the club team and was the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) National Collegiate Club Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Men’s Collegiate Club National Player of the Year in both 2018 and 2019.
A three-time National Collegiate Club All-America selection (First Team: 2018, 2019; 2017: Second Team) and Rocky Mountain Division Most Valuable Player (2017, 2018, 2019), he led the Utes to Fourth Place at the National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Pittsburgh in 2019 to claim tournament Most Valuable Player honors a season after also claiming MVP accolades for helping Utah claim Second Place at the 2018 National Collegiate Club Championship held at the University of Arizona.
During his time at Utah, the Utes claimed back-to-back Rocky Mountain Division Championships in 2018 and 2019 to accompany three consecutive division All-Conference First Team nods.
