Water Polo Head Coach Resigns

Harvard water polo coach Jim Floerchinger resigned earlier this month, ending his five-year tenure as the team’s first full-time head coach.

Floerchinger has coached the men’s team since the 1998-1999 season and the women’s team since 1999-2000.

Reached yesterday, Floerchinger cited personal reasons for his departure.

“My girlfriend passed the bar in California and we are moving out there,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities in California that I’m weighing right now and I’ll be coaching somewhere in Los Angeles next year.”

Athletic Director Bob Scalise confirmed yesterday that Floerchinger tendered his resignation to Assistant Athletic Director Steve Staples on May 1.

Scalise said that he wished to allow Floerchinger to explain his reasons for leaving himself and declined to comment further.

Staples declined to comment when reached at his home last night.

Players from both the men’s and women’s team also declined to comment, some citing a team-wide “no comment” policy.

“It’s not really our place to talk about it,” said junior Reid Bolton, who will co-captain the team next year. “We can’t talk until everything is resolved. I’m worried about the ramifications.”

Bolton would not elaborate, saying that he and the rest of the team are waiting to hear more at this time.

“I want to wait until we here something from the Athletic Department,” Bolton said.

Players said they were informed of Floerchinger’s impending departure in an e-mail he sent to the team the day of his resignation.

“The college season just ended and a move was imminent,” Floerchinger said. “I waited till the end of the season to make the transition at the end of the academic year.”

Floerchinger will continue to work in the Athletic Department until June 30 and has been assisting in the search for a new head coach.

“I have been talking to people in the coaching community,” Floerchinger said. “I’m trying to be as helpful as possible in the search.”

Floerchinger said that it is unlikely that current men’s assistant head coach Brent Reimer would be interested in the job.

Reimer is a full-time Air Force officer and has been a volunteer assistant coach for the past year.

Floerchinger was the 2000 Northern Division Coach of the Year in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the men’s team just finished one of its most successful seasons in Harvard history.

The Crimson finished the season 20-7 and entered the Northern championships as the second seed and 15th-ranked team in the country.

But a disappointing loss to seventh-seeded and unranked Brown prevented the Crimson from advancing to the Eastern championships and the team ended the season on a frustrating note.

“What we want to do is look forward to next year and not worry about what happened now,” said senior Theo Ludwick.

Floerchinger said that he coached with a very relaxed style that focused on teaching.

“Some of the players took to that style,” he said. “But some players were use to a different style. A lot of the athletes grew up with more authoritarian types of coaching and I’m not like that.”

Floerchinger confirmed that the water polo program was investigated for NCAA violations last spring.

David Fox, who was an assistant coach during the 2001-2002 season and is currently a proctor in Wigglesworth, did not return to the team last fall. Fox could not be reached for comment last night.

The team is anxious to find a new coach quickly. The men’s team must report back on August 27 to begin training for its season.

—Staff writer Timothy Jackson can be reached at jackson2@fas.harvard.edu.