USC Water Polo Restructures: Marko Pintaric to Lead Men, Casey Moon Women
The USC water polo program has undergone a “restructuring” that for the first time separates the coaching staff. Marko Pintaric, long in charge of both programs, will take over the men’s team, while his associate coach Casey Moon will lead the women.
The restructuring includes two dedicated assistant coaches for each of the men’s and women’s programs.
Pintaric has coached at USC since 2000, just after the completion of his college player career that saw him named the 1998 National Player of the Year in leading the Trojans to an NCAA title. From a graduate assistant to a full assistant to associate head coach and then co-coach, he began leading the men’s and women’s teams in 2019. He’s been on staff for a combined 15 national championships.
Of the seven NCAA championships since his ascent to the head coach of both jobs, the Trojans have made the final six times, the women winning it all in 2021. Pintaric was the National Coach of the Year that season.
“This is a structure that enables our Trojan water polo family to fully leverage the resources that USC provides to our student-athletes,” Pintaric said in a university statement. “As a proud Trojan, I’m excited for this opportunity to deepen our support and maintain the winning culture that has been built here. Our program is dedicated to winning national championships and developing our student-athletes both athletically and academically. The successes that Casey and I have been a part of at USC are due to the players and the culture in this program.”
Moon has been in place at USC water polo since 2007, working with both the men’s and women’s team. He was the interim head coach of the women’s team in 2019 after the dismissal of Jovan Vavic. In all, he’s been a part of six men’s NCAA titles and five women’s NCAA crowns.
“I am so appreciative and indebted to Pinta for being my mentor throughout my years working with this incredible USC program. He has guided me with love and joy to help me become the coach I am now,” Moon said. “I am truly humbled, honored, grateful and extremely excited to lead the Women of Troy as head coach. This program isn’t about any one person. It is about believing in the journey and knowing that we need others along the way. To lead the Women of Troy is an honor of a lifetime, and I will never take that for granted.”
“This is a great opportunity for this program to grow under the direction of two experienced and dedicated head coaches while staying true to our culture as a cohesive and powerful family of Trojans,” Pintaric said. “In this day and age, you need to be focused on leading to the best of your ability, and on maximizing the potential and the experience of your players to help them develop and become the best they can be. I truly care about and am so proud of all our USC student-athletes, and this new structure allows me to support both teams in meaningful ways. I look forward to watching this program and our players shine and continue to grow even stronger.”