Caltech men's water polo head coach Jon Bonafede has been named Division III National Coach of the Year by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).
The award recognizes coaches who demonstrate exemplary leadership and the ability to help aid in their teams' growth and improvement. Bonafede, who was honored in December, is the 12th coach to receive the award since its inception in 1997 and is one of five current Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) coaches to have been so recognized.
Bonafede says the award "speaks to the patience, resilience, and good decision making my coaching staff and I exhibited this season. I am so proud of my team for their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. It is an honor to represent Caltech and the amazing scholar-athletes
who compete and study here."
Under Bonafede, the men's water polo team won eight games in the 2017 season—one of the team's best seasons in recent history. Caltech earned its first SCIAC victory since 2001 over Occidental College last September, then went on to sweep Oxy, first with a victory at the Gary Troyer Tournament, then with another victory in Eagle Rock. The Beavers also increased their margin of victory with each Oxy win, which Bonafede says showcases the team's growth over the course of the season.
The ACWPC exists to promote the development and advancement of collegiate water polo and acts as the sport's national ranking system. All awards and recognitions are selected based on nominations and voting by the head coaches of all Division III water polo programs.
The honor marks Bonafede's second coaching award of the season. In November, the third-year coach received recognition from the SCIAC with the SCIAC Men's Water Polo Coach of the Year.