John Abdou, a veteran collegiate and national team coach, has been named High Performance Director for USA Water Polo. In this position Abdou will oversee the Olympic Development Program in addition to coach and referee education and development. Working in unison with Senior National Team Head Coaches Adam Krikorian and Dejan Udovicic, Abdou will assist in implementing their technical vision throughout ODP and the USA Water Polo club system. "The addition of John Abdou to the USA Water Polo staff fills an essential need on many fronts. Along with cementing the leadership of our Olympic Development Program, his experience as a coach, athlete, and award winning teacher will play a vital role in the education and development of our coaches and officials. I am confident he will integrate seamlessly with our National Teams and properly disseminate their tactical and technical visions to the water polo community at large with great success. We feel incredibly fortunate that a person with John's experience, strong relationships across the country and high character and integrity will be joining our team," said Marty Samuels, USA Water Polo Chief Operating Officer. "I'm excited to serve the water polo community in America on a broader scale," said Abdou. "I am extremely passionate about teaching and coaching, so the opportunity to do so on a full time basis for our country was one that I could not pass up. I look forward to working with all athletes, coaches, referees and community members to strengthen our success as an organization both domestically and internationally."

Currently the Associate Head Coach for men's water polo at the University of California-Santa Barbara and Director/Boy's Head Coach of the Santa Barbara Water Polo Club, Abdou will begin his post with USA Water Polo full-time following the conclusion of the 2013 men's collegiate season. Prior to his time in Isla Vista, Abdou spent five years at Bucknell University, the last two serving as Head Coach of both the men's and women's programs. Within USA Water Polo, Abdou has remained active in the National Team pipeline in his position as ODP East Region Technical Director since 2008. Since 2010 he has also been a part of the coaching staff of the Men's Senior National "B" Team.A former social science teacher at Burbank High School, Abdou competed for the UC-Irvine men's water polo team earning his undergraduate degree in sociology in 2001. He added a masters degree in education from Bucknell in 2009. Abdou currently resides in Goleta, CA and will soon live in Huntington Beach, CA with his wife Anna and their son Gabriel.