Photo by: The Press-Enterprise/PE.com
New Local Leader For Men's Water Polo
12/9/2014 9:25:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — After spending its first 16 seasons under one coach, the California Baptist University men's water polo program has a new leader in line for 2015. Riverside native and long-time Martin Luther King High water polo coach Kevin Rosa steps in to become just the second Lancer coach, CBU Director of Athletics Dr. Micah Parker announced Tuesday.
"After an extensive national search, we found the best fit for us right here in Riverside," said Dr. Parker. "Kevin is driven, smart, a winner and a good fit for our Athletic Department mission. God continues to bless us with quality coaches to lead our programs."
Rosa replaces Rick Rowland, the aforementioned coach, who has guided CBU since 1999 and will focus solely on the Lancers' swimming and diving program in 2015-16. Rosa has been entrenched in the Riverside water polo scene for about two decades. In addition to Redlands, Rosa spent his playing days at Riverside Community College and Arlington High and then went on to coach water polo at John W. North and Martin Luther King, which is where he has coached and taught the last nine years.
"I just want to thank [President] Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, [Vice President] Kent Dacus and Dr. Parker for giving me the honor to work at California Baptist University," Rosa said. "I am looking forward to getting started and working with the team."
With Rosa, the Lancers will hope to build on the type of success they enjoyed under Rowland. CBU amassed a 349-194 record, 13 winning seasons and finished 11 years as a top-20 ranked team in the nation. The team most recently went 15-20, 1-5 in the WWPA for fourth place in the conference—its best finish in the WWPA—and ended the season ranked 20th in the NCAA.
"Coach Rowland and [assistant coach] Jeremy Hare have done a great job and built a great foundation," Rosa said. "We plan on continuing to build on that foundation and going out and winning a conference title."
Rosa will look to take the success he enjoyed coaching in high school to the collegiate level. He coached King to a CIF Southern Section Division III Boys' Water Polo Championship two years ago, with the help of current CBU sophomore goalie Joseph Moorman in the cage, earning Coach of the Year honors from the Inland Empire Area, CIF-SS D-III and Big VIII League in 2012 as a result. He was also selected as the Big VIII League and Inland Empire Area Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2009, respectively.
Since 2002, Rosa has been coaching high school aquatics programs in at least one capacity. From 2002 to 2006, he led the boys' and girls' water polo programs at JW North and he has been apart of three different programs at King since 2006, most notably the boys' water polo program he has guided the past nine years. He also currently coaches the boys' swimming team at King and was in charge of the women's water polo squad for five years (2009-13). He played water polo collegiately at Redlands (2000-02) and Riverside Community College (1998-2000) after graduating from Arlington High in 1998. He also played on the SoCal Club water polo team from 1992 to 1997.
As a player, Rosa was inducted into the Redlands Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and was put on the Riverside City Sports Wall of Fame in 2003. He was voted the United States Division III Water Polo Player of the Year and SCIAC MVP in 2001. Rosa graduated from Redlands with a bachelors in biology in 2002 and earned his a masters in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 2006.
"After an extensive national search, we found the best fit for us right here in Riverside," said Dr. Parker. "Kevin is driven, smart, a winner and a good fit for our Athletic Department mission. God continues to bless us with quality coaches to lead our programs."
Rosa replaces Rick Rowland, the aforementioned coach, who has guided CBU since 1999 and will focus solely on the Lancers' swimming and diving program in 2015-16. Rosa has been entrenched in the Riverside water polo scene for about two decades. In addition to Redlands, Rosa spent his playing days at Riverside Community College and Arlington High and then went on to coach water polo at John W. North and Martin Luther King, which is where he has coached and taught the last nine years.
"I just want to thank [President] Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, [Vice President] Kent Dacus and Dr. Parker for giving me the honor to work at California Baptist University," Rosa said. "I am looking forward to getting started and working with the team."
With Rosa, the Lancers will hope to build on the type of success they enjoyed under Rowland. CBU amassed a 349-194 record, 13 winning seasons and finished 11 years as a top-20 ranked team in the nation. The team most recently went 15-20, 1-5 in the WWPA for fourth place in the conference—its best finish in the WWPA—and ended the season ranked 20th in the NCAA.
"Coach Rowland and [assistant coach] Jeremy Hare have done a great job and built a great foundation," Rosa said. "We plan on continuing to build on that foundation and going out and winning a conference title."
Rosa will look to take the success he enjoyed coaching in high school to the collegiate level. He coached King to a CIF Southern Section Division III Boys' Water Polo Championship two years ago, with the help of current CBU sophomore goalie Joseph Moorman in the cage, earning Coach of the Year honors from the Inland Empire Area, CIF-SS D-III and Big VIII League in 2012 as a result. He was also selected as the Big VIII League and Inland Empire Area Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2009, respectively.
Since 2002, Rosa has been coaching high school aquatics programs in at least one capacity. From 2002 to 2006, he led the boys' and girls' water polo programs at JW North and he has been apart of three different programs at King since 2006, most notably the boys' water polo program he has guided the past nine years. He also currently coaches the boys' swimming team at King and was in charge of the women's water polo squad for five years (2009-13). He played water polo collegiately at Redlands (2000-02) and Riverside Community College (1998-2000) after graduating from Arlington High in 1998. He also played on the SoCal Club water polo team from 1992 to 1997.
As a player, Rosa was inducted into the Redlands Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and was put on the Riverside City Sports Wall of Fame in 2003. He was voted the United States Division III Water Polo Player of the Year and SCIAC MVP in 2001. Rosa graduated from Redlands with a bachelors in biology in 2002 and earned his a masters in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 2006.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Water PoloMonday, September 19
Monday, September 19
Monday, September 19
Monday, September 19
