Fordham University Head Coach Brian Bacharach to Present “Man-Up Advantage” on October 2 CWPA Coaches Corner

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Fordham University head men’s varsity water polo coach Brian Bacharach will discuss “Man-Up Advantage” in the third “Coaches Corner” webinar presented by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).

The presentation is available on Zoom at 7:30 p.m. Eastern/4:30 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, October 2, by CLICKING HERE with a passcode of: 98WqGq

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.

Future Coaches Corner Presentations:

• On Wednesday, October 16, United States Naval Academy men’s varsity head coach & Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Hall of Fame member Luis Nicolao discusses “Offensive Advantage”.

About Brian Bacharach:

A 2006 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America selection and national champion at the University of California, Brian Bacharach has proven himself among the elite coaches in the nation over the past decade.  After five years as an assistant coach for the Rams, one season as Associate Head Coach and co-Head Coach, Bacharach was promoted to Head Coach at Fodham University in May of 2020.

The work put in by Bacharach paid off in 2021, as Fordham captured its first-ever Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship and earned its first berth into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship, posting a school record 26 wins. 

The 2021 season saw the Rams receive a number of awards, led by Honorable Mention All-America Hans Zdolsek, who was the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Most Outstanding Player of the MAWPC Championship.  George Papanikolaou was also an Honorable Mention All-America selection and was the MAWPC Rookie of the Year, while Thomas Lercari was named Rookie of the MAWPC Championship.  The Rams also saw four players earn First Team All-MAWPC East honors (Zdolsek, Papanikolaou, Jacopo Parrella, Bailey O’Mara).  Bacharach was also named the MAWPC Coach of the Year.

The Rams followed that with another MAWPC Championship season in 2022 and a second trip to the NCAA Championship.  The team also tied the school record for wins in a season (26), went undefeated in league play at 16-0, and were ranked in the national top 20 all season long.  Bacharach earned MAWPC Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season and was selected as the Elite Men’s Coach Award winner for the Northeast Zone by USA Water Polo, which put him as a candidate for the Monte Nitzkowski Award for National Elite Men’s Coach Award.  Individually, Bacharach saw five players earn All-MAWPC honors in 2022, led by Nir Gross, who was the league MVP and an ACWPC Third Team All-American, and George Papanikolaou, who was First Team All-MAWPC and an ACWPC Honorable Mention All-American.

In 2023, Fordham picked up its third consecutive MAWPC Championship and NCAA Championship berth.  The Rams once again went undefeated in MAWPC play and were ranked all season long, finishing the year at #12.  Bacharach earned his second straight MAWPC Coach of the Year, as well as picking up the Coach of the MAWPC Championship award.  Individually, three Rams earned All-MAWPC honors, led by George Papanikolaou, who as the League MVP and an ACWPC Third Team All-America, while Luca Silvestri was First Team All-MAWPC and an ACWPC Honorable Mention All-America.  Additionally, Balazs Berenyi received national acclaim, receiving the Elite 90 Award for the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Water Polo Championship.  The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.

Since Bacharach joined the staff, the Rams have seen sustained success, posting seven winning seasons (2015-17, 2019, 2021-23), nine straight full seasons of at least 16 wins (2014-19, 2021-23), and a top 20 national ranking for the first time since the 1980s.  The team has also been recognized by the NCAA for its Academic Progress Rate (APR) score eight times.

Prior to the championship season, the Fordham water polo team’s 2019 season saw the Rams become a top 20 nationally-ranked program.  The Rams posted 24 wins, five of which were over ranked opponents, and reached as high as #16 in the polls for a portion of the season.  The duo of Bacharach and Harris were named the MAWPC East Coach of the Year and had three players named Honorable Mention All-America by the ACWPC.

In 2017, Bacharach helped the Rams to their first national ranking since the 1980s, and a fourth place finish at the MAWPC Championship.  Individually, three Rams earned MAWPC All-East Division honors with Massimiliano Mirarchi and Jake Miller-Tolt earning First Team honors with Mirarchi also being named Rookie of the Year, while Alex Jahns picked up Second Team honors.  Mirarchi was also an ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention selection.  The team was also recognized by the NCAA for its Academic Progress Rate (APR) score for the fifth time, while ten Rams were named to the ACWPC All-Academic Team.

The Rams followed that up with another fourth place finish in the MAWPC Championship in 2018, led by Miller-Tolt earning ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention accolades after becoming the second Ram ever to have 100 goals in a single season.  He also earned First Team MAWPC All-East Division, while teammates Ian Watson and Bailey O’Mara garnered Second Team accolades.

2016 saw the team finished third at the inaugural MAWPC Championship, while having a pair of MAPWC honorees as R.J. Simmons was named First Team All-East Division, while Miller-Tolt was Second Team All-East Division.  In addition, seven Rams were honored ACWPC All-Academic and the MAWPC Scholar-Athlete Awards.

In his first year on the staff in 2013, Bacharach helped lead Fordham back to the CWPA Championship, earning its first berth in three years.  Individually, three Fordham players earned CWPA All-Northern Division honors, led by Nicholas Allen and Ori Raz, who both scored at least 50 goals on the season, while goalkeeper Noah LeBeau made a career-high 291 saves.

In year two, the Rams once again appeared at the CWPA Championship, earning an at-large berth.  Individually, two players earned CWPA All-Northern Division honors with LeBeau garnering First Team status and R.J. Simmons receiving Second Team honors.

Prior to Fordham, Bacharach wrapped up a stint as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University, where he helped guide the Lions to the 2010 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Conference Championship.

Bacharach finished his career at Cal with 141 career goals, including a team-best two in the 2006 NCAA National Championship, which Cal defeated the University of Southern California (USC). It was the Bears 12th national title and Bacharach was one of the Bears’ team captains for the second consecutive season.

As a senior for the Bears in 2006, he was a ACWPC Honorable Mention All-America selection, as well as a Mountain Paciic Sports Federation (MPSF) All-Academic and a ACWPC All-Academic selection. For his career, he was a four-time MPSF All-Academic and ACWPC All-Academic selection.

After graduating Cal in the spring of 2007, Bacharach went on to play professionally in Australia for the Cronulla Sharks.

In the fall of 2007, he returned to De La Salle High School, this time as a teacher and coach. He taught math and psychology while also serving as assistant varsity coach for the boys’ water polo team through the spring of 2009. He helped De La Salle earn NCS Runner-up honors in 2008, while claiming EBAL League title in 2008 and 2009.

In addition to his teaching duties, Bacharach ran the men’s side of the Diablo Water Polo Club of Moraga, California, for three years (2007-09), leading the 18-under team to its three highest finishes in the program’s 12-year existence.