Head Coach Marc Hunt

Marc Hunt, a two-time UC Irvine All-American, is in his seventh season as head coach of the Anteater men's water polo program in 2011.

Hunt was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year in 2009, marking the second time he has earned that honor in the past three years. Last year's squad ended the season ranked No. 5 in the final national poll, the fourth time in the past six years that the 'Eaters have finished in the nation's top five.

Hunt also was named the MPSF Coach of the Year in 2007, when he led UCI to the MPSF Championship Tournament final for the first time in history and a final national ranking of third. Two of his players, Tim Hutten and Colin Mello, were named first team All-Americans while Cole Bitter was an honorable mention selection. Hutten received the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, which is given annually to the top collegiate player in the nation. Hutten and three other former UCI standouts, Ryan Bailey, Rick Merlo and Jeff Powers, were members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

Five of his players on the 2010 team earned All-America recognition.  Overall, Hunt has coached 10 UCI players who have earned 17 All-America awards and 11 of his student-athletes have received All-MPSF honors 16 times. His program has produced 56 UCI Scholar-Athletes and two Peter J. Cutino Award finalists - Dreason Barry in 2006 and Tim Hutten, who won the award in 2008.

Thirty-seven of Hunt's student-athletes have earned MPSF All-Academic honors and 28 have received national All-Academic recognition by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.

Hunt was head coach of the USA men's team that competed at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, placing fourth.  In April 2010, he was appointed head coach of the U.S. Men's Senior National B Team.

Before taking over the head coaching duties at UCI, Hunt served as an assistant coach under the legendary Ted Newland for four years. He also served as interim women's head water polo coach at UCI in 2003-04.

Hunt was named Southern Pacific Zone Elite Men's Coach of the Year by USA Water Polo following his inaugural season as head coach in 2005 when he led UCI to a final national ranking of fourth. The Anteaters were 18-12 overall and 6-2 for second place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation that year.

Hunt was a two-time All-American as a player (1992, 1993). He led the Anteaters with 60 points, including seven two-point goals, as a senior in 1993 in leading UCI to an 18-11 record, a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a final national ranking of fourth. He earned first team All-America honors that season. He was named a third team All-American in 1992 when he scored 32 goals as the Anteaters finished fourth in the nation.

In 2007, Hunt was named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's All-15th Anniversary team.

Hunt was co-captain of the gold-medal winning USA team at the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y., the last time the U.S. won a gold medal at the Games. He also played in the 1995 World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan, where the Americans placed seventh. Hunt played for the U.S. National Team from 1993-96, and then competed for the Sydney (Australia) University Lions club team that finished third in the National League in 1999.

He then served as assistant coach for the Corona del Mar High School boys' and girls' teams for two seasons, winning boys' CIF titles both years and finishing as CIF runner-up in one girls' season.

Hunt was inducted into the Righetti High School Hall of Fame in Santa Maria in May 2010.

He and his wife, Christine, were married in August 2010.

The Hunt File

• MPSF Coach of the Year, 2009, 2007
• Two-time All-American at UC Irvine
• U.S. Head Coach, 2011 World University Games
• Named to MPSF All-15th Anniversary team

Contact Coach Hunt

Email: mhunt@uci.edu | Phone: 949-824-7240

Assistant Coach Dreason Barry

Dreason Barry is in his third season as assistant coach with the UC Irvine staff in 2011.

Barry, a three-time All-American for UCI, scored 212 goals in his 'Eater career that spanned from 2001-05. He was a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award as a senior and has played for the U.S. Senior National Team. 

Barry earned his B.A. in sociology from UCI in 2006.

The Barry File

• Three-time All-American at UC Irvine
• Cutino Award Finalist

Contact Coach Barry 

Email: dbarry@uci.edu | Phone: 949-824-7240

Volunteer Assistant Coach Brandon Johnson

UC Irvine alum and three-time All-American Brandon Johnson is in his first year as volunteer assistant coach with the Anteater program.

Johnson, who scored 196 goals in his UCI career, was a three-time All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honoree.

He was a two-time UCI Scholar-Athlete and received the University's Academic Achievement Award from the UCI Admissions Office in 2011.