New Cal women’s water polo head coach Coralie Simmons is already making an impactful splash on the job, hiring four-time Olympian and former Golden Bear star Heather Petri as volunteer assistant coach.
Petri played at Cal from 1997-99 and 2001 and was a two-time All-American. She went on to become the only four-time female Olympian in any sport in Golden Bear history, winning the gold medal in 2012, silvers in 2000 and 2008 and the bronze in 2004.
Petri has extensive coaching experience with camps, clinics and private lessons. She also spent time as an assistant coach at Long Beach State and Miramonte High School.
“She obviously brings the Cal experience, and also the past and present together,” Simmons said. “It’s nice to have someone on staff that understands what it’s like to be a student-athlete at Cal, and how to create a winning atmosphere. She was part of some great teams in the past. She brings that spirit to practice.”
Petri and Simmons were teammates on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team and were each named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team that was named earlier this year.
“We have similar backgrounds,” Simmons said. “Knowing where she’s been, it was easy for me to determine that her wealth of experience would be a huge asset for our program.”
Petri was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, the same year she had her cap retired by the Cal women’s water polo program.
“I’ve always been a supporter of Cal and wanted our teams to do well,” Petri said. “But I was very excited to see Coralie step into the head coaching position – as a friend, a teammate and just as a big supporter of her. When she asked me to help, I was shocked but very excited. I had stepped away from water polo as far as coaching an organized team for a while. This is a perfect opportunity to get back into it – getting to watch her coach and learn from her, and being back at Cal. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Press release courtesy of Cal Athletics.