Bucknell University Athletics
John Abdou Named Assistant Men's and Women's Water Polo Coach at Bucknell
8/4/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
Aug. 4, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head men's and women's water polo coach John Zeigler announced the hiring of John Abdou as assistant coach Thursday. A 2001 graduate of the University of California at Irvine, Abdou is the first-ever assistant coach for the Bison water polo programs.
Since 2001 Abdou has served as the director and head coach of both the men's and women's water polo programs at Burbank High School in Burbank, Calif. The area's Girl's Water Polo Coach of the Year winner in 2004 and 2005, Abdou took a pair of programs with losing records and transformed them into perennial winners, participating in the league playoffs each of the last three years.
Along with handling his coaching duties at Burbank, Abdou was a social science teacher. He was voted one of Los Angeles' Most Inspirational Teachers in 2005 and was chosen to pioneer the school's first advanced placement course in psychology. He also handled duties as the advisor for the senior class in 2005.
"I am excited not only at the prospect of having an assistant, but having a person the quality of John to help with both the men's and women's programs," said Zeigler. "John's biggest asset is his passion for teaching and love of water polo. Our student-athletes will respond to his leadership and coaching style, while his experience playing, working and living in Southern California, a talent-rich area for water polo, will immediately help our recruiting."
Recently Abdou organized and conducted district tryouts for United States Water Polo as the Wilshire District boy's cadet coach. He also worked with United States Water Polo as the C.C. Zone girls youth assistant coach.
Since 2002, Abdou has been part of the coaching staff at the Naval Academy Water Polo Camp.
Abdou got his start in coaching when he was the head assistant boys water polo coach at Temple City High School in Temple City, Calif., in 1998.
A P.A.D.I. certified and professional Divemaster who instructs SCUBA diving certification courses, Abdou was a member of the water polo team at Irvine from 1997-2000 and helped lead the Anteaters to 58 wins and three NCAA Tournament berths during his four campaigns.
Abdou joins a pair of Bucknell water polo programs coming off successful seasons. The men's team, which will be hosting the 2005 Men's Water Polo NCAA Championships at Kinney Natatorium Dec. 3-4, is coming off a 17-14 campaign, its most wins since 2000. The women's squad finished its 2005 season with a 23-11 record, setting a program record for victories in a season.
Bucknell sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports, including 14 for women, at the Division I level (I-AA football). It is a charter member of the Patriot League and has won the league's all-sports championship in 11 of the 15 years it has been contested. Bucknell led the nation with a 100 percent graduation rate in the 2003 survey and ranks third in Division I in producing Academic All-Americans.
