California Irvine Athletics

Marc Hunt, a two-time UC Irvine All-American, is in his 17th season as head coach of the Anteater men's water polo program in 2021.

He has amassed over 200 wins in his 15 seasons at the helm.

He has guided UCI to a top-10 ranking in the final national poll five times in the past 11 years, and nine times in the past 15 seasons.

Hunt has coached 19 UCI players who have earned 32 All-America awards. 

Since joining the Gold Coast Conference in 2016, Hunt has produced 15 All-Conference players including back-to-back Newcomers of the Year, Fynn Schuetze, in 2017 and Jason Evezard in 2018.

Over 41 of his student-athlete's have earned GCC All-Academic honors during the past four years. 

Hunt was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year in 2009, marking the second time he has earned that honor in three years.

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.

Bailey, Powers and Hutten competed for the 2012 U.S. Team at the London Games.

14 of his student-athletes received All-MPSF honors 21 times. His program has produced 99 UCI Scholar-Athletes and two Peter J. Cutino Award finalists - Dreason Barry in 2006 and Tim Hutten, who won the award in 2008.

Seventy-one of Hunt's student-athletes have earned MPSF All-Academic honors and 51 have received national All-Academic recognition by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.

Hunt served as interim head coach of the USA National Team that won the FINA World League Prelims in May 2013.

He 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