John McBride is in his second year as an assistant coach with the Senior Men’s National Team. McBride has been the head men’s and women’s water polo coach at Bucknell since 2011 and also has an extensive background with the U.S. National Team, serving as head coach of the men’s Northeast Zone Olympic Development Team since 2009.
Ten years into his Bucknell tenure, he has led the men’s team to a 2012 Southern Championships title and the program’s first Eastern Championship title game appearance in nearly 20 years. In 2019, McBride led the program to one of its finest seasons in program history after winning its second MAWPC Championship in four years. The team went on to beat undefeated Harvard in Cambridge in the NCAA Tournament Play-In game, before bowing out to USC in the national quarterfinals. The win for the Bison in the NCAA Tournament was the first for the program since the 1985 season.
On the women’s side, McBride has led Bucknell to 129 victories while playing extremely challenging schedules that have featured numerous ranked foes. In 2015, McBride led the women to their first .500 record since 2010 as the squad saw its win total rise for the second consecutive year. The Bison improved even more in 2016 as the win total soared to 18, the highest number for Bucknell since 2009. The Bison finished in fifth place at the CWPA Championship, their best showing since 2010. McBride was named the CWPA Coach of the Year following the regular season, making him the first Bison coach to be named Coach of the Year since 2010. In 2019, McBride led the team to 25 wins, one shy of the school record, and a third-place finish at the CWPA Championship, the highest finish in team history.
While at Brown, McBride helped guide the Bears to unprecedented success. The men’s squad captured the 2009 Collegiate Water Polo Association Northern Division title, its first conference crown in nearly 25 years. Additionally, the team went undefeated in regular-season conference play in 2008 and finished as high as fourth at the Eastern Championship. On the women’s side, McBride led the Bears to back-to-back ECAC Championship titles in 2009 and 2010 and a fourth-place finish at the Eastern Championship, the best showing at Brown since 2001.
Among his many responsibilities with the National Teams, McBride evaluates and coaches the top 16 men from the East Coast to compete for spots on the U.S. National Team. He has also coached regional teams comprised of the best Northern California collegiate players and helps the U.S. Junior National Team Coaches bring the best players to represent the U.S. in international competitions.
An accomplished goalie during his playing days at Rhode Island, McBride was a three-time First Team All-New England selection and was twice a First Team All-East honoree.
