USA Water Polo

It turns out water polo may have always been Kyle Kopp’s destiny, and for that the sport has truly benefited. When injuries derailed a promising basketball career at UC-Riverside, all 6 foot 8 inches of Kyle Kopp transferred to Long Beach State where he turned in a dynamite career. In the water polo pool Kopp was a three-time All-American and was also named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team in 1988 and 1989. In 1988 and 1990 Kopp was named the Big West’s Most Valuable Player while at the same time jumpstarting a run on the USA Men’s Senior National Team that would last over a decade. A member of four World Championship teams, Kopp represented the United States at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. A member of the 1997 FINA Cup Gold Medal winning squad, he retired in the early 2000s after a five year run of professional water polo in Greece. From there Kopp segued into coaching in 2001 helping the USA Women’s Senior National Team to Gold at the 2003 & 2007 World Championships, Bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games and Silver at the 2008 Olympic Games. Currently Kopp serves as Head Coach of the USA Women’s Youth National Team and of the Golden West College Women’s Swimming & Water Polo squads.

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