John Vargas
Assistant National Team Coach

John Vargas was a 1992 Olympian and lives in Newport, Beach, CA. He is Assistant Coach of the US Men's Water Polo team. Vargas joined the coaching staff in 1992, after playing for the US National Team.

At the 1996 Olympic Games, Vargas will serve as assistant Olympic team coach. He is head water polo coach at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, CA. He has received six California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) "Coach of the Year" awards.

During his competitive career, Vargas was a member of the gold medal winning team at the 1991 World Cup . Also that year, his team won the silver medal at the Pan American Games. While playing for the Newport Water Polo Foundation, his team won the National Championship title in 1991, 1987 and 1984.

In 1983, Vargas played on the World University Games team that won the silver medal. His college team, University of California, Irvine, won the 1982 NCAA Championships. While in school, he led his team in scoring in 1981 and 1982. A USWP All-American in 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1991, he also was a two-time collegiate All-American in 1981 and 1982.

Vargas earned a bachelor of arts in political science from UC Irvine in 1987. He was born June 17, 1961 in Fullerton, Calif. His brother, Joe Vargas, was a member of the 1984 silver medal winning US. Olympic team.

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