Women's Water Polo
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- jwm035@bucknell.edu
- Phone:
- 570-577-1777
John McBride, who served as an assistant coach at Brown the previous seven years, was named the head men’s and women’s water polo coach at Bucknell on May 18, 2011. McBride, a 1992 graduate of Rhode Island who was a four-year starter in goal as a member of the water polo program, also has an extensive background with the U.S. National Team, and for the last two years he has been an assistant coach with the U.S. Senior Men's Team. The squad captured the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Chile in November 2023, and McBride will be again be on deck with the team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.Â
McBride has guided the Bison men's and women's water polo programs to tremendous success during his tenure in Lewisburg, winning more than 300 games. He led the men’s team to the 2012 Southern Championships title and the program’s first Eastern Championship title game appearance in nearly 20 years. In 2016, McBride led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985 after winning the MAWPC Championship in Kinney Natatorium. In 2019, McBride led the program to one of its finest seasons in program history after winning its second MAWPC Championship in four years. The Bison went on to defeat previously undefeated Harvard in Cambridge in the NCAA Tournament Play-In game, before bowing out to USC in the national quarterfinals. The win for the Bison in the NCAA Tournament was the first for the program since the 1985 season. Bucknell returned to the NCAA Tournament in the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season, once again reaching the final eight.Â
On the women’s side, McBride's teams annually take on extremely challenging schedules that have featured numerous ranked foes. In 2015, McBride led the women to their first .500 record since 2010 as the squad saw its win total rise for the second consecutive year. The Bison improved even more in 2016 as the win total soared to 18, the highest number for Bucknell since 2009. The Bison finished in fifth place at the CWPA Championship, their best showing since 2010. McBride was named the CWPA Coach of the Year following the regular season, making him the first Bison coach to be named Coach of the Year since 2010. In 2019, McBride led the team to 25 wins, one shy of the school record, and a third-place finish at the CWPA Championship, the highest finish in team history. On Feb. 2, 2019, McBride became the coach in Bucknell history to record 100 wins with two different programs with a 16-6 win over La Salle. The Bison women also began the 2020 season with a 10-1 start, the best in program history, before the season was cut short due to the pandemic.
McBride has recruited and developed multiple All-Americans during his tenure at Bucknell. The most prominent was Rade Joksimovic, a four-time All-American and MAWPC Player of the Year who was one of three finalists for the 2020 Cutino Award, which is given to the national player of the year.Â
While at Brown, McBride helped guide the Bears to unprecedented success. The men’s squad captured the 2009 Collegiate Water Polo Association Northern Division title, its first conference crown in nearly 25 years. Additionally, the team went undefeated in regular-season conference play in 2008 and finished as high as fourth at the Eastern Championship
On the women’s side, McBride led the Bears to back-to-back ECAC Championship titles in 2009 and 2010 and a fourth-place finish at the Eastern Championship, the best showing at Brown since 2001.
Both the men’s and women’s squads appeared regularly in the national top-20 rankings during McBride’s tenure, which also featured 43 All-Northern Division selections and 22 All-East players. Additionally, three Bears earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Brown’s men’s team had the highest team grade-point average in the nation for four years, while the women ranked in the top three nationally four times.
A goalie on the U.S. National "B" Team in 1993, McBride is a recognizable face in National Team circles. In addition to his duties as the men’s Northeast Zone Olympic Development Team head coach, he has served as head coach of the Southeast Zone Olympic Development Program. McBride has also spent time as an evaluator and coach at the women’s Speedo Top 40 Camp at Harvard. Among his many responsibilities with the National Teams, McBride evaluates and coaches the top 16 men from the East Coast to compete for spots on the U.S. National Team. He has also coached regional teams comprised of the best Northern California collegiate players and helps the U.S. Junior National Team Coaches bring the best players to represent the U.S. in international competitions. He was promoted to assistant coach with the U.S. Senior National Team in 2022.Â
An accomplished goalie during his playing days at Rhode Island, McBride was a three-time First Team All-New England selection and was twice a First Team All-East honoree.
