Luis Nicolao was named the head water polo coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in January of 2018. A member of the Class of 1992, Nicolao was a standout for the Midshipmen as an athlete, earning All-America and All-East selection honors, graduating as the all-time leading scorer in Academy history.
In 2024, Navy went 22-10 overall with a 10-4 mark in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC). The Midshipmen earned the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, but advanced to the championship game, finishing as the runner ups for the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years.
Navy closed out the 2024 season ranked in the final CWPA national rankings, coming in at #19. The Midshipmen were ranked or receiving votes each week of the year, starting during the preseason poll. Additionally, the Mids were ranked 19th in the final Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) national poll.
Once again, Navy participated in a daunting schedule, playing 10 (of 32) games against teams ranked in the CWPA national rankings, including five games against teams in the top 10.
The ACWPC announced that Navy’s Kiefer Black was among the 20 student-athletes selected to the Peter J. Cutino Award Watch List, making Black the second athlete in program history to be named to the watch list. The Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo. The watch list was created in 2022 in an effort to help promote the college game, awareness of the honor, and the excellent play of athletes around the country.
Black was tabbed an Honorable Mention All-American by the ACWPC. It was the second All-American accolade in his career, earning honorable mention distinction as a freshman in 2023.
The MAWPC announced its all-conference honorees and three Navy student-athletes were selected. Black was named to the first team, while Orion Erwin was tabbed second team. Additionally, Michael Heller claimed honorable mention distinction.
For his efforts in the MAWPC Tournament, freshman Ryan Munch was named Rookie of the Tournament, while Black and Erwin were each selected First Team All-Tournament. Additionally, Billy Zech was selected Second Team All-Tournament. In addition to being Rookie of the Tournament, Munch was named honorable mention all-tournament.
Offensively, the Midshipmen tallied 476 goals in 32 games (14.9 gpg) with 22 different student-athletes finding the back of the net.
Kiefer Black led the team with 171 points on 94 goals and 77 assists. He registered his second consecutive 100-point season, joining Luis Nicolao (118 point in 1990; 114 in 1991) and Doug Munz (113 points in 1993; 184 points in 1994) as the only players in program history with multiple 100-point seasons.
Heller, Luka Sekulic, Quinn Bartlett, and Erwin followed Black to round out Navy’s top five. Heller had 63 points on 47 goals and 16 assists, while Sekulic was one point back with 62 points on 48 goals and 14 assists. Bartlett finished with 61 points on 33 scores and 28 helpers, while Erwin was relatively balanced with 35 goals and 24 assists for 59 points. Austin Kahn was second on the team with 32 assists with Bartlett (28), Rory Begin (25), and Erwin (24) closing out the top five with 20-plus helpers.
Defensively, Navy primarily used three goalkeepers on the year. Munch led the team with 169 saves, while Jack Hightower and Jack Rodoni follow with 62 and 58 stops, respectively. Holden Seybold led the team with 36 steals, while Black (30) also recorded 30-plus takeaways. Maddox Garrahy paced the team with 67 ejections drawn with Zech following with 60 kickouts drawn.
#17 Navy outlasted Air Force in sudden-death overtime, 19-18, in a back-and-forth contest on the first day of the Rare Air Challenge to retain possession of the Freedom Vase. Knotted at 18-18, Garrahy gave the Midshipmen a one-goal victory over their rivals with his fifth goal of the game.
With an 18-7 win against Concordia at the Rare Air Challenge, Nicolao recorded his 500th victory as a men's head coach. Nicolao became the eighth coach to reach that mark, joining Ted Newland, former Navy head coach Mike Schofield, Denny Harper, Jovan Vavic, Terry Schroeder, Dante Dettamanti, and Pete Cutino with 500 or more wins. Just one day later, Nicolao reached another milestone, recording his 100th victory as the Navy head coach with a 24-16 win over Cal Lutheran.
Black broke the Navy water polo single-game record for goals, assists, and points, scoring 10 goals and six assists for 16 points to lead Navy to a 24-16 win over Cal Lutheran. Black broke the previous record of nine goals in a game, originally set by Brian Wineke against Slippery Rock in 1993 and matched by Isaac Salinas at Johns Hopkins in 2018 and Black last season against George Washington. The 16 points topped Wineke's previous mark of 11 against Slippery Rock in 1993, while the six assists were the top performance in program history, topping the previous mark of five by many players – most recently by Black earlier in the season against #14 Harvard.
The Midshipmen posted a 21-6 overall record in 2023, including a 9-3 mark in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC). Navy dropped a close 12-10 decision to #15 Fordham in the 2023 MAWPC Championship Game, finishing 2-1 overall in the tournament. It was the second time Navy has advanced to the MAWPC Championship Game under head coach Luis Nicolao, and the 19th time in program history.
The MAWPC announced its all-conference honorees and three Navy student-athletes were selected. Freshman Kiefer Black and senior team captain Caden Capobianco were named to the first team, while freshman Aiden Day was tabbed second team. Additionally, Black was honored as the league's Rookie of the Year, becoming the third Midshipmen in program history – second under head coach Luis Nicolao – to earn Rookie of the Year honors, joining Isaac Salinas ('22) and Kyle Wertz ('12) who were named top freshmen in 2018 and 2008, respectively. With the selections of Black and Capobianco to the first team, it marked the first time since 2010 that the Midshipmen had multiple first-team honorees.
For his efforts in the MAWPC Tournament, Kiefer Black was named Rookie of the Tournament, while Black, Caden Capobianco, and Aiden Day were selected First Team All-Tournament. Additionally, Michael Heller was selected Second Team All-Tournament.
The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announced the 2023 Men's Division I All-America teams and Navy attacker Kiefer Black and goalkeeper Caden Capobianco were named as honorable mention selections. For Capobianco, it was the second All-American accolade in his career, while Black became the first Navy freshman to be named All-America since Kyle Wertz ('12) earned the first of his two All-American honors in 2008.
Additionally, the ACWPC announced that Navy senior team captain Caden Capobianco was among the 20 student-athletes selected to the Peter J. Cutino Award Watch List. The Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo. The watch list was created in 2022 in an effort to help promote the college game, awareness of the honor, and the excellent play of athletes around the country.
Navy closed out the 2023 season ranked in the final CWPA national rankings, coming in at #17. The Midshipmen were ranked each week of the year, starting during the preseason poll. Additionally, the Mids were ranked 17th in the final Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches national poll.
Offensively, the Midshipmen tallied 372 goals in 27 games (13.8 gpg) with 23 different student-athletes finding the back of the net. Navy was led by freshmen Kiefer Black, Aiden Day, and Sam Collingwood, who had 125, 56, and 51 points, respectively. Black led the team with 68 goals and a team-high 57 assists, while Day was second on the squad with 42 goals. Collingwood and Hayden Kahn followed with 37 and 36 goals, respectively, while Nathan Duchez rounded out Navy's top five with 22 goals. Tommy McKnew (21), Michael Heller (20), Billy Zech (15), Rory Begin (14), Ivan Pang (14), Holden Seybold (13), Connor Cashman (12), Luka Sekulic (10), and Henry Williams close out the double-digit scoring for the Mids.
In addition to Kiefer Black's 57 assists, Rory Begin (22), Ivan Pang (19), Sam Collingwood (14), Aiden Day (14), and Henry Williams (12) each had double-digit helpers.
Defensively, goalkeeper Caden Capobianco saw a majority of time between the posts. The team captain appeared in 23 games, notching 237 saves and a 55.9 save percentage. Additionally, Capobianco led the team with 52 steals. Kiefer Black was the team's leading position player with 33 steals, while Holden Seybold (21), Jack Hightower (17), Rory Begin (15), Sam Collingwood (14), Luka Sekulic (14), Aiden Day (13), Nathan Duchez (13), Hayden Kahn (12), and Michael Heller (11) followed with double-digit takeaways.
Tommy McKnew (44), Hayden Kahn (39), and Kiefer Black (24) paced the squad in ejections drawn, while Michael Heller (14), Holden Seybold (14), Billy Zech (14), Sam Collingwood (13), Nathan Duchez (12), and Alejandro Schmidt-Corujo (11) followed with double-digit kickouts drawn.
Once again, Navy participated in a daunting schedule, playing eight (of 27) games against teams ranked in the CWPA national rankings. The Mids squared off against a pair top 10 opponents, including a 10-9 victory over #9 Long Beach State and a game against #1 Cal who won its third consecutive national champion in 2023.
In 2022, Navy posted a 16-15 overall record with an 8-8 mark in conference play. The Midshipmen entered the MAWPC Tournament as the No. 6 seed, but victories over Mercyhurst (W, 21-9), Johns Hopkins (W, 15-11 in OT), and Wagner (W, 17-14) boosted Navy into fifth place. Michael Heller (first team), Jake Altmayer (honorable mention), and Caden Capobianco (honorable mention) led the team as All-Conference selections, while Heller was also named All-MAWPC Tournament (second team).
Captains Jake Altmayer and Will Clark, along with Michael Heller led the Midshipmen offensively. Altmayer paced the offense with a team-high 81 points on 46 goals and a team-best 35 assists. Heller contributed a team-high 56 goals with 18 helpers to give him 74 total points, while Clark has a more balanced 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 total points. Tommy McKnew had 32 goals, while Travis Berzins added 27 scores. Nathan Duchez added 26 scores, while Hayden Kahn and Chris Kim notched 21 goals apiece to round out Navy’s 20-goal scorers. Ivan Pang and Rory Begin notched 25 and 21 assists to join Altmayer, Clark, and Heller in the top 5 in helpers.
Defensively, Caden Capobianco saw a majority of time between the posts. He appeared in 28 of 31 games, notching 259 saves and registering a 47.3 save percentage. In addition, Capobianco led the team with 77 steals. Jack Hightower finished with 38 stops and a 42.7 save percentage with seven steals. Jake Altmayer, Michael Heller, and Travis Berzins led all position players with 21, 20, and 16 steals apiece.
Hayden Kahn led the team with 30 ejections drawn, while Tommy McKnew was second with 28. Travis Berzins and Kyle Yelensky were next with 26 and 24, respectively.
Navy played 12 (of 31) games against teams ranked (nine games) or receiving votes (3) in the CWPA national rankings, including three top 10 opponents – #1 Cal (back-to-back national champions), #3 USC, and #10 San Jose State.
Ten (10) Navy student-athletes, including water polo players Peter Hillen and Graham Lindner, garnered College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District accolades for at-large sports. Hillen and Lindner, along with Navy gymnast Ian Dinmore, earned CSC Academic All-America honors. Dinmore and Hillen garnered first team recognition, while Lindner was noted on the second team. Navy was one of seven schools to put multiple athletes on the first and second teams.
The 2021 water polo team finished the season 16-13 overall, including a 9-3 mark in conference play. Navy hosted the 2021 MAWPC Tournament at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Md. The Mids entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, advancing to the championship game for the first time since 2011 with victories over (7) Gannon (W, 20-13) and (3) George Washington (W, 11-7). The Mids dropped a 9-6 decision to the top-seeded and nationally-ranked Fordham in the championship game. The second-place finish was the best for the Midshipmen since coming in as runner up in three consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2011.
Navy placed two – Isaac Salinas and Caden Capobianco – on the 2021 ACWPC Men's Division I All-America teams as honorable mention selections. Salinas became the third player in program history to earn three All-American honors, joining Nick Hill (2000, '01, '02) and Luis Nicolao (1989, '90, '91), while Capobianco is the first Navy goalie to claim the distinction since Brett Rajchel ('10) in 2009.
In addition, Salinas was named First Team All-MAWPC-East. It was the fourth time in his career that he was named all-conference and the third time earning first-team distinction. With the first-team accolade, he joined Kyle Wertz (2009, '10, '11), Alex Ratcliffe (2003, '04, '05), Luis Nicolao (1989, '90, '91), Tom Popp (1986, '87, '88), and Lawrence Kough (1983, '84, '85) as the only three-time First Team All-East honorees for Navy.
The pair of Salinas and Capobianco were also named to the MAWPC Championship All-Tournament Team. Salinas was selected to the first team, while Capobianco earned second-team honors.
Offensively in 2021, the Mids were led by Salinas, Jake Altmayer, Hayden Kahn, Jack Weggeland, and Will Clark. Salinas led all Midshipmen with 80 total points, including a team-best 61 goals. Altmayer led the team with 29 assists and chipped in 23 goals for 52 total points. Weggeland was third on the team with 42 points on 24 goals and 18 assists. Kahn (37g 3a) and Clark (17g 22a) rounded out Navy's top-five scorers with 40 and 39 points, respectively.
Defensively, Capobianco and Max Sandberg saw a majority of the action at goal. Capobianco led the team with 242 saves in 24 games played, while registering a team-high 71 steals. Sandberg played in 13 games with 79 stops and 13 steals.
Navy water polo spent 14 of the 15 weeks of the 2021 season ranked or receiving votes in the CWPA national rankings. Navy was ranked #19 in the preseason poll, while ranking #20 during week three and week seven of competition. The Mids ranked #19 during the final regular season week of the season (week 10) before moving back to #20 entering the conference tournament (week 11). The Midshipmen finished the year receiving votes in the final CWPA poll.
Once again, the Midshipmen participated in a daunting schedule, playing 15 (of 29) games against teams ranked (10 games) or receiving votes (5) in the CWPA national rankings. The Mids squared off against six top 10 opponents with three top five matchups, including hosting the eventual national champion, Cal.
In the classroom, Peter Hillen (’23) was named a Third-Team Academic-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in the at-large category. Hillen, who was the only water polo player in the country represented on the list of 2021-22 Academic All-Americans, became the fifth different (sixth total) Navy water polo player to garner the award and the first since Jackson Hummeldorf was named to the first team in 2012-13.
Additionally, Navy had 12 student-athletes named to 2021 ACWPC All-Academic teams. Jake Altmayer, Caden Capobianco, Jamie Cassidy, Kyle Faison, Jonas Greer, Peter Hillen, Graham Lindner, Kenny McKinlay, and Sean O'Boyle led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while Liam McInerney was named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70). Jordan Corpuz and Connor Simpson rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40). In addition, Navy was recognized for achieving a 3.08 collective GPA.
The 2020 water polo season was moved to the spring and shortened due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Navy finished the season 6-1 overall. The Mids finished the regular season in first place in the conference and were set to be the top seed in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament, but were not allowed to compete in the tournament due to the Naval Academy being under a restriction of movement (ROM).
The water polo team was ranked #8 in the final top 10 of the national rankings of the year. The Mids were ranked all 10 weeks of the season, dating back to the preseason poll. Navy was selected 14th in the initial National Top 20 by the CWPA. With multiple teams withdrawing from competition, the CWPA elected to do a Top 10 throughout the season. In the first Top 10 poll, Navy rose to #9 before entering the first week of competition ranked #10.
Isaac Salinas finished the shortened season with a team-high 23 points on a team-high 20 goals with three assists. He was joined by Jake Altmayer who finished with 18 points, including a team-best 12 assists. Bobby Lee added 17 points (12g 5a), while Bobby Wall (5g 7a), Payton Comstock (7g 4a), and Ivan Pang (4g 6a) finished with 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
Defensively, Jack Weggeland paced Navy’s position players with eight steals, while Cole Jacobs and Isaac Salinas added six apiece. Travis Berzins and Kyle Yelensky registered seven ejections drawn each to lead the team, while Salinas added six. At goal, the Mids used a pair of goalies – Max Sandberg and Caden Capobianco. The Navy goalies recorded 74 saves and a save percentage of 60.2. Sandberg recorded a team-best 44 saves, while Capobianco added 30. Sandberg led the team with a 65.7 save percentage with Capobianco registering a 53.6 clip. Capobianco led the team with 10 steals in his rookie campaign.
The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announced the 2020-21 Men's Water Polo All-America teams and attacker Isaac Salinas was selected to the second team. Salinas became the third Midshipmen to earn Second Team All-American honors and the first to claim the distinction since Aaron Recko (’08) in 2007. Salinas became the eleventh player in program history to earn multiple All-American honors and the first since Carl Dowzicky (’16) who was an All-American in 2013 and 2015.
The conference announced its All-MAWPC teams for the East Region and Navy had three student-athletes represented. Isaac Salinas was named to the first team, while Bobby Lee and Jake Altmayer earned second-team honors.
The Navy water polo team had 14 of its student-athletes named to 2020-21 ACWPC All-Academic teams. Jake Altmayer, Caden Capobianco, Jamie Cassidy, Kyle Faison, Peter Hillen, Graham Lindner, and Kenny McKinlay led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while Jesse Hainze was named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70). Jordan Corpuz, Nathan Duchez, Cole Jacobs, Max Sandberg, Andrew Shashin, and Bobby Wall rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40). In addition, Navy was recognized for achieving a 3.08 collective GPA.
Navy finished the 2019 season 16-13 overall, and 6-6 in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference – East Division. It marked the second consecutive season – both under Nicolao – that the Midshipmen finished the season with a winning record. For their efforts during the season, Isaac Salinas and Trevor Clark (’20) were named to the 2019 MAWPC-East Region All-Conference team. Salinas was named to the first team, while Clark was tabbed second team.
Navy water polo earned the No. 4 seed in the MAWPC Championship. The Mids opened the tournament with a 16-12 victory over fifth-seeded Wagner to advance to the semifinals. Navy was edged by eventual champion Bucknell, 7-5, in the semifinals, but defeated No. 2 seed Fordham, 9-5, to finish the tournament in third place. Salinas was named First Team All-MAWPC Tournament. Salinas finished the tournament with 10 goals and two assists for 12 total points. He was the only player selected to the first team that did not play in the championship game.
The ACWPC announced the 2019 Men’s Water Polo All-America teams and Navy attacker Isaac Salinas was an honorable mention selection. He became the first Mid to earn the accolade since Carl Dowzicky (‘16) was an honorable mention selection as a senior in 2015. In addition, he is also the first Midshipmen All-American under Nicolao.
Isaac Salinas finished the season with a team-high 104 points, becoming the first Mid to record 100 or more points in a season since Paul Pedrotty notched 137 points (91g 46a) in 2012. Salinas tallied a team-best 89 goals, while adding 15 assists on the year. Salinas, who played in 26 of 29 games on the year, led the Midshipmen with 30 steals, while also leading the team with 38 ejections drawn. He paced the offense by leading the team in points in 19 of the 26 games that he played. Salinas finished the season with 17 hat tricks, including scoring three or more goals in seven of 11 games he played against ranked opponents. Thirty-eight (38) of Salinas' 104 points came against ranked opponents.
Jake Altmayer led the team in assists, tallying 35 helpers in his inaugural season. Will Clark was second on the team in assists with 24, while Bobby Lee was third with 20.
Defensively, Cole Jacobs and Jack Weggeland finished second and third behind Salinas in steals. Jacobs finished with 25, while Weggeland posted 21. Jacobs, Max Sandberg and Andrew Shashin trailed only Salinas in ejections drawn with Jacobs and Sandberg drawing 25 apiece and Shashin getting 21.
At goal, the Midshipmen used a trio of goalies – Ronan Williams, Brandon Shields, and Max Sandberg. The Navy goalies recorded 309 saves and a save percentage of 46.7. Sandberg recorded a team-best 149 saves, while Williams added 125. Williams led the team with a 49.0 save percentage with Sandberg registering a 45.3 clip.
Senior captain Ronan Williams (’20) etched his name into the Navy record book. Entering the final game of his collegiate career against #16 Fordham, Williams had 597 career saves. The senior posted 12 stops, giving him 609 for his career, making him just the fourth goalie in program history with 600 or more saves. He allowed just five goals to the nationally-ranked Rams en route to the victory.
The Navy water polo team had 10 of its student-athletes named to 2019 ACWPC All-Academic teams. Graham Lindner, Jonas Greer, Kyle Faison, Peter Hillen, Jake Altmayer, and Jamie Cassidy led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while Kenny McKinlay and Jesse Hainze were named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70). Andrew Shashin and Trevor Clark rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40). In total, the 10 accolades extend the program's stretch of four or more individuals on ACWPC All-Academic Teams dating back to 2005.
Navy once again played a demanding schedule in 2019, playing 16 games against teams that were ranked in or receiving votes for the top-20, including #2 Stanford – eventual national champion – and #2 UCLA. The Midshipmen posted three victories over ranked opponents in 2019. The Mids defeated #16 Fordham, 15-12, in the Bronx before claiming a 14-8 win over #17 George Washington at home. Navy closed out the 2019 campaign with a 9-5 victory over #16 Fordham at the MAWPC Championship in Lewisburg, Pa.
In his first season at the helm, Nicolao directed the team to a 15-14 overall record, including a 6-6 mark in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference – East Division. It was the first time the Midshipmen finished the year with a winning record since 2015. For his efforts, Nicolao was tabbed MAWPC – East Coach of the Year.
Three members of the team were named to the All-MAWPC-East team with Bobby Lee (’21) earning first team honors, and Andrew Shashin (’21) and Isaac Salinas (’22) each claiming second team accolades. In addition, Salinas was named the 2018 Rookie of the Year, while Lee and Salinas were also selected to the MAWPC All-Tournament Second Team.
Offensively, Salinas led the team with 77 points with a team-high 23 assists to go along with 54 goals (second on the team). Lee tallied 68 total points scoring a team-high 57 goals, while Shashin (35) and Nate Reiff (’20 / 31 goals) also amassed 30+ goals on the season. Salinas and Reiff led the team in assists. Salinas tallied 23 helpers, while Reiff followed with 21 assists.
Defensively, Jake Haines (’21) led the team with 21 steals, just ahead Lee who finished with 19. Shashin drew a team-best 51 exclusions, while Salinas (27), Trevor Clark (’20 / 23 exclusions), and Reiff (22) also finished with 20-plus exclusions drawn.
At goal, the Midshipmen used a quartet of goalies – Francis Kim (’19), Ronan Williams (’20), Brandon Shields (’20), and Max Sandberg (’22). Led by Williams, the Navy goalies recorded 301 saves and a save percentage of 49.2. Williams recorded a team-best 196 saves and posted a 50.5 save percentage.
The Navy water polo team had nine of its student-athletes named to 2018 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic teams. Senior Francis Kim (’19), sophomore Declan Harrison (’21), sophomore Crawford Smith (’21), and freshman Kenny McKinlay (’22) led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while sophomore Jesse Hainze (’21) was named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70 GPA). Junior Brandon Shields (’20), junior Kevin Volkov (’20), freshman Nick Grinnell (’22), and freshman Max Sandberg (’22) rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40 GPA).
Prior to taking the helm for the Mids, Nicolao served as the head coach for both the Princeton University men's and women's water polo programs for 20 seasons. During his tenure with the Tigers, he posted a combined 844-312 (.730) record. Under his tutelage, the men’s team held a 402-163 (.712) overall mark, while the women amassed a 442-149 (.748) ledger.
Nicolao, the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Men’s National Coach of the Year in 2004, also has five Eastern Coach of the Year awards split between the men and the women (Men: 2004, ‘09, ‘11; Women: 2001, ‘07). Additionally, he has garnered Southern Coach of the Year honors on seven occasions (Men: 2001, ‘03, ‘08; Women: 2001, ‘05, ‘06, ‘13).
He has directed the Princeton men to nine Southern titles (1999, ‘01, ‘03, ‘04, ‘08, ‘10, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15), four Eastern crowns (2004, ‘09, ‘11, ‘15) and made four NCAA Tournament appearances (2004, ‘09, ‘11, ‘15). The women have nine Southern titles to their credit (1999, ‘01, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘08, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14), four Eastern crowns (2000, ‘12, ‘13, ‘15) and three NCAA berths (2012, ‘13, ‘15).
Collectively, Nicolao coached 29 Princeton student-athletes to a combined 65 All-America accolades with 15 men’s team members collecting 34 All-America honors and 14 women tallying 31 All-America distinctions. In addition, he oversaw eight men’s water polo players who earned Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Southern Player of the Year honors and a pair of CWPA Rookies of the Year. On the women’s side, Nicolao coached six different student-athletes to a total of 12 CWPA Southern Player of the Year accolades with an additional two players claiming rookie of the year laurels.
Princeton went 22-6 during the 2017 season, reaching the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship game. The Tigers defeated four California teams and eight ranked opponents during the 2017 campaign, finishing #14 in the final varsity poll. Princeton had three All-Conference performers and three All-Americans honorees. In addition, Nicolao reached 400 career wins with the men’s squad this year.
On the women’s side, the Tigers finished the 2017 season at 24-4 and reached the CWPA Championship game. It was the fifth time in the last six seasons that Princeton reached the 20-win milestone. Nicolao’s unit won 12 games vs. ranked opponents and seven contests vs. California teams. Princeton had two All-Americans including goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson, who was the first player in Princeton women's water polo history to be named first team All-America. The goalie was the third Princeton player ever to be picked as All-American in each of her four seasons and was the first Princeton water polo player to ever play in the Olympics, earning a gold medal in 2016. Johnson went on to repeat as a gold medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
During the 2015 season, the men's team went 22-5 overall and 8-0 in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Southern Division play. The team went on to win the CWPA Southern Division for the second straight season and capture the CWPA Championship.
In 2014, the men's squad posted a 23-4 mark, captured their eight Southern title and advanced to their second-consecutive CWPA championship game. Three different Tigers garnered All-Southern first team and honorable mention All-America accolades. On the women's side, the Tigers matched a program record with a 31-5 overall mark. Capturing its fourth Eastern Championship, Princeton secured its third NCAA Tournament berth, ultimately placing sixth overall.
2013 saw the Princeton men finished the year with a 22-6 mark, going 7-1 against Southern Division opponents. Placing third in the Southern tournament, the Orange & Black advanced to the CWPA title tilt before falling to St. Francis. On the women’s side, the Tigers posted a program record 31 wins (31-2), capturing a third consecutive Southern title (ninth overall) before eventually falling to Indiana in the CWPA championship game.
The 2011-12 academic year was the most successful in Nicolao's career, as both the men's and the women's teams won the CWPA Eastern Championship to earn NCAA Tournament berths. Following the men's season, Nicolao was honored with the Monte Nitzkowski Distinguished Men's Coaching Award from USA Water Polo.
On the women’s side, the squad established several program benchmarks, culminating with the team's second Eastern Championship and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship in 2012. Nicolao also earned his 300th career victory at the helm of the women's program by virtue of a 12-6 win over Bucknell on Feb. 24, 2012.
The 2015-16 campaign had the women's water polo team posted a third-place finish in the 2016 CWPA Championship to finish 19-7 overall. Sophomores Haley Wan, Chelsea Johnson and senior Pippa Temple were named to the All-CWPA Tournament teams. Wan and Temple were also picked to the All-CWPA second team for their stellar performances during the regular season.
Princeton women’s water polo finished sixth at the NCAA Tournament in 2015. The Tigers posted a 31-5 overall mark, tying a program record for wins. Capturing their third CWPA title in four seasons (fourth overall), Princeton finished tied for sixth in the final CWPA Varsity Top-20 poll, earning the best ranking in program history.
In 2013, the women maintained their dominance in the CWPA going undefeated in Southern play (5-0) en route to the Southern Division title and Eastern Championship crown for the second consecutive season. Behind a 28-6 record, the Tigers advanced to their second NCAA tournament where they put forth a program-best fifth-place showing.
Success in the pool runs in Nicolao's family. His mother, Lee Davis, was a world-record holder in the distance freestyle while his father, Luis, was a world-record holder in the 100-butterfly. Nicolao followed suit as a two-time high school All-America in water polo, leading Bellarmine College Prep in California to its local championship each year.
As a student-athlete at Navy, Nicolao was a three-time All-American and All-East selection for the Midshipmen, graduating as the school’s all-time leader in points (377) and goals scored (282). During the course of his career, Navy won two Eastern Championships (1988, ‘90) and reached the NCAA Tournament on three occasions (1988, ‘90, ‘91). He was named the CWPA Eastern MVP in 1990 and 1991, while earning CWPA First-Team All-East accolades for three straight seasons (1989, ‘90, ‘91). In addition, Nicolao served as the team captain as a senior during the 1991 season.
After earning the Naval Academy Athletic Association’s Sword for Men as the top graduating male athlete in 1992, Nicolao assisted with the Navy water polo program as a temporary assigned duty (TAD). He was also a member of the U.S. National Team that won the gold medal at the World University Games before serving in the Navy for five years.
Nicolao returned to his alma mater’s pool in 1996 as an officer representative prior to accepting the head coaching position at Princeton in 1998, while also serving as the U.S. men’s national “B” team assistant coach (1998, ‘99).
Nicolao earned a Master's Degree in adult education from the University of Phoenix. He and his wife, Kellie, have two daughters, Madison and Morgan.
@NavyWaterPolo
