Our Team
Luis Nicolao
He directed the Princeton men and women to a combined to eighteen Southern titles , eight Eastern crowns and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Collectively, Luis coached 29 Princeton student-athletes to a combined 65 All-America accolades with 15 men's team members collecting 34 All-America honors and 14 women tallying 31 All-America distinctions.
Tom Popp
Tom Popp was officially named the assistant water polo coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in July of 2018. A member of the USNA Class of 1989, Popp was a standout for the Midshipmen as an athlete, earning All-America and All-East selection honors, graduating as the all-time leader in career assists in Academy history.
Head Coach
Barry King
Barry King has taken the GW water polo programs to new heights in his two seasons at the helm. The veteran coach led the men's program to its first conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2017 before earning a repeat title and won their first game in the national tournament in 2018.
Women's Head Coach / Aquatic Director
Robert Bullion
Robert Bullion is in his ninth year at Salem University, currently serving as head men’s water polo coach and aquatics director. He has also served as the Tigers’ head women’s water polo coach and head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Salem.
Head Coach
Mark Lawrence
Lawrence joined the Naval Academy coaching staff in 2014, and helped guide the Midshipmen to 42 victories in his three years with the program. Prior to his time with Navy, Lawrence worked as an assistant coach at Brown University, working with both the men's and women's water polo programs. While at Brown, he worked as the program's recruiting coordinator and helped coach two players to Collegiate Water Polo Association North Division First Team honors.
Head Coach
Max Schegel
schlegelmh@gmail.com
Max Schlegel was promoted to head coach in February 2019 after serving as an assistant for the Blue Jays from 2016 to 2018. He came to Homewood after a two-year stint as the head coach at Calvert Hall.
Women's Water Polo Head Coach/Men's Water Polo Assistant Coach
Alana Burgess
Alana Burgess enters her first season as women's water polo head coach in 2020 after serving as an assistant on staff for the 2019 campaign. In 2019 she helped guide the Terriers to their most regular season wins since 2011 and most conference wins since 2012.
Head Women's Water Polo Coach/Assistant Men's Coach
Derek Ellingson
Derek Ellingson just wrapped up his first season as head coach of the women's water polo program. He will begin his 15th season working with the Tigers' men's water polo program in 2019. Prior to joining the Princeton staff in the summer of 2004, Ellingson spent five years coaching at his alma mater, Queens College, first as an assistant and then as the men’s and women’s head coach.
Coronado High School Coach
Randy Burgess
Randy Burgess won 715 games during his 33 years of coaching water polo at Coronado High School. He led the boys’ team to 16 section championships and the girls team to three titles before he announced his retirement in 2015.
Our Team
You can find the list of our coaches below.
The NAVY Coaching Staff

NAVY Head Coach
He directed the Princeton men and women to a combined to eighteen Southern titles , eight Eastern crowns and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Collectively, Luis coached 29 Princeton student-athletes to a combined 65 All-America accolades with 15 men's team members collecting 34 All-America honors and 14 women tallying 31 All-America distinctions.

NAVY Assistant Coach
Tom Popp was officially named the assistant water polo coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in July of 2018. A member of the USNA Class of 1989, Popp was a standout for the Midshipmen as an athlete, earning All-America and All-East selection honors, graduating as the all-time leader in career assists in Academy history.

NAVY Assistant Coach
Ken Vincent joined the NAVY Water Polo team in September2020 as an assistant coach. Over the past three decades, Coach Ken has coached both high school and club water polo teams and swimming teams, and played club water polo in the greater Washington, DC area and in Pennsylvania. In 2011,Vincent founded the Buxmont Water Polo Club which has now become a leading high school water polo club in Pennsylvania. Coach Ken has become a regular camp and club coach at NAVY over the past decade.

NAVY Head Coach
He directed the Princeton men and women to a combined to eighteen Southern titles , eight Eastern crowns and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Collectively, Luis coached 29 Princeton student-athletes to a combined 65 All-America accolades with 15 men's team members collecting 34 All-America honors and 14 women tallying 31 All-America distinctions.

NAVY Assistant Coach
Tom Popp was officially named the assistant water polo coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in July of 2018. A member of the USNA Class of 1989, Popp was a standout for the Midshipmen as an athlete, earning All-America and All-East selection honors, graduating as the all-time leader in career assists in Academy history.

NAVY Assistant Coach
Ken Vincent joined the NAVY Water Polo team in September2020 as an assistant coach. Over the past three decades, Coach Ken has coached both high school and club water polo teams and swimming teams, and played club water polo in the greater Washington, DC area and in Pennsylvania. In 2011,Vincent founded the Buxmont Water Polo Club which has now become a leading high school water polo club in Pennsylvania. Coach Ken has become a regular camp and club coach at NAVY over the past decade.
Previous and Future Coaches

George Washington Head Coach
Barry King has taken the GW water polo programs to new heights in his two seasons at the helm. The veteran coach led the men's program to its first conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2017 before earning a repeat title and won their first game in the national tournament in 2018.

Salem International Women's Head Coach / Aquatic Director
Robert Bullion is in his ninth year at Salem University, currently serving as head men’s water polo coach and aquatics director. He has also served as the Tigers’ head women’s water polo coach and head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Salem.

Goalie Coaching Coordinator
Peter Sabbatini is back in Annapolis coaching his alma mater club water polo program. As a four-year varsity letter winner at Princeton University, and under the head coach leadership of Luis Nicolao, Peter was a member of the water polo program that helped solidify Princeton as an East Coast powerhouse and helped lead the team to its NCAA Final Four Tournament appearance in 2004. Over the course of his collegiate career as Princeton’s goalie, Peter garnered multiple accolades: ECAC Championship Most Valuable Player (2003), CWPA Southern Player of the Year (2003), First-Team All-Southern (2003, 2004), Second-Team All-Southern (2002), CWPA Eastern Most Valuable Player (2004), First-Team All-Eastern Tournament Team (2003, 2004),Second-Team All-NCAA Tournament Team (2004), and All-America (Third-Team, 2003;Second-Team, 2004). Outside of Princeton water polo, Peter was a member of the National Youth Team (2001), National Junior Team (2000, 2003) and trained with the National A Team (April 2006 to December 2007), which provided him with the opportunities of training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO (1998, 2006), training internationally (Canada, Venezuela, Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy) and competing in international tournaments such as NORAMS (1999), Junior Pan-American Championships (2000, earning Co-MVP Tournament Goalie), and the Junior World Championships (2003)."

Austin College Head Coachmlawrence@austincollege.edu
Lawrence joined the Naval Academy coaching staff in 2014, and helped guide the Midshipmen to 42 victories in his three years with the program. Prior to his time with Navy, Lawrence worked as an assistant coach at Brown University, working with both the men's and women's water polo programs. While at Brown, he worked as the program's recruiting coordinator and helped coach two players to Collegiate Water Polo Association North Division First Team honors.

Max Schlegel was promoted to head coach in February 2019 after serving as an assistant for the Blue Jays from 2016 to 2018. He came to Homewood after a two-year stint as the head coach at Calvert Hall.

St. Francis Brooklyn Women's
Water Polo Head Coach/Men's Water Polo Assistant Coach
aburgess@sfc.edu
Alana Burgess enters her first season as women's water polo head coach in 2020 after serving as an assistant on staff for the 2019 campaign. In 2019 she helped guide the Terriers to their most regular season wins since 2011 and most conference wins since 2012.

Princeton University Head Women's Water Polo Coach/Assistant Men's Coach
Derek Ellingson just wrapped up his first season as head coach of the women's water polo program. He will begin his 15th season working with the Tigers' men's water polo program in 2019. Prior to joining the Princeton staff in the summer of 2004, Ellingson spent five years coaching at his alma mater, Queens College, first as an assistant and then as the men’s and women’s head coach.

Retired Legendary Coronado High School Coach
Randy Burgess won 715 games during his 33 years of coaching water polo at Coronado High School. He led the boys’ team to 16 section championships and the girls team to three titles before he announced his retirement in 2015.

George Washington Head Coach
Barry King has taken the GW water polo programs to new heights in his two seasons at the helm. The veteran coach led the men's program to its first conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2017 before earning a repeat title and won their first game in the national tournament in 2018.

Salem International Women's Head Coach / Aquatic Director
Robert Bullion is in his ninth year at Salem University, currently serving as head men’s water polo coach and aquatics director. He has also served as the Tigers’ head women’s water polo coach and head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Salem.

Goalie Coaching Coordinator
Peter Sabbatini is back in Annapolis coaching his alma mater club water polo program. As a four-year varsity letter winner at Princeton University, and under the head coach leadership of Luis Nicolao, Peter was a member of the water polo program that helped solidify Princeton as an East Coast powerhouse and helped lead the team to its NCAA Final Four Tournament appearance in 2004. Over the course of his collegiate career as Princeton’s goalie, Peter garnered multiple accolades: ECAC Championship Most Valuable Player (2003), CWPA Southern Player of the Year (2003), First-Team All-Southern (2003, 2004), Second-Team All-Southern (2002), CWPA Eastern Most Valuable Player (2004), First-Team All-Eastern Tournament Team (2003, 2004),Second-Team All-NCAA Tournament Team (2004), and All-America (Third-Team, 2003;Second-Team, 2004). Outside of Princeton water polo, Peter was a member of the National Youth Team (2001), National Junior Team (2000, 2003) and trained with the National A Team (April 2006 to December 2007), which provided him with the opportunities of training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO (1998, 2006), training internationally (Canada, Venezuela, Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy) and competing in international tournaments such as NORAMS (1999), Junior Pan-American Championships (2000, earning Co-MVP Tournament Goalie), and the Junior World Championships (2003)."

Austin College Head Coachmlawrence@austincollege.edu
Lawrence joined the Naval Academy coaching staff in 2014, and helped guide the Midshipmen to 42 victories in his three years with the program. Prior to his time with Navy, Lawrence worked as an assistant coach at Brown University, working with both the men's and women's water polo programs. While at Brown, he worked as the program's recruiting coordinator and helped coach two players to Collegiate Water Polo Association North Division First Team honors.

Max Schlegel was promoted to head coach in February 2019 after serving as an assistant for the Blue Jays from 2016 to 2018. He came to Homewood after a two-year stint as the head coach at Calvert Hall.

St. Francis Brooklyn Women's
Water Polo Head Coach/Men's Water Polo Assistant Coach
aburgess@sfc.edu
Alana Burgess enters her first season as women's water polo head coach in 2020 after serving as an assistant on staff for the 2019 campaign. In 2019 she helped guide the Terriers to their most regular season wins since 2011 and most conference wins since 2012.

Princeton University Head Women's Water Polo Coach/Assistant Men's Coach
Derek Ellingson just wrapped up his first season as head coach of the women's water polo program. He will begin his 15th season working with the Tigers' men's water polo program in 2019. Prior to joining the Princeton staff in the summer of 2004, Ellingson spent five years coaching at his alma mater, Queens College, first as an assistant and then as the men’s and women’s head coach.

Retired Legendary Coronado High School Coach
Randy Burgess won 715 games during his 33 years of coaching water polo at Coronado High School. He led the boys’ team to 16 section championships and the girls team to three titles before he announced his retirement in 2015.