Coronado High School has named David Throop as the new water polo coach, returning to a role he first embraced more than three decades ago.
Throop will oversee both the girls and boys programs, according to a press release from Maria Simon, Coronado Unified School District’s public information officer.
The hiring follows the resignation of former coach Jesse Smith, a five-time Olympian and 2008 silver medalist who began coaching at Coronado High in 2023. After returning to his alma mater to coach, he led the boys’ team to a 2023 Division 1 title, and the girls to a 2024 championship.
Smith did not comment on the reason for his resignation on deadline.
Throop will take over as head coach after previously leading Islander water polo teams in a variety of coaching and administrative roles between 1991 and present day, bringing what athletic director Aaron Brooks called extensive experience to the program.
“We are happy to welcome back David Throop, who brings not only extensive coaching experience but also a deep familiarity with our program and community,” Brooks said. “His commitment to honoring the program’s legacy and continuing its growth is a great fit for our student athletes.”
Throop’s coaching experience dates to 1987, and he has experience leading teams at Mount Miguel High School, Granite Hills High School, Mesa College, The University of Hawaii, and the USA Water Polo Olympic Development program. Throop said that he had a few Division I water polo offers out of high school, but he opted to go the coaching route instead.
“My primary belief, which underlies my coaching core philosophy, is that sports – especially team sports – serve as a vehicle for young people to learn the tools and develop the mechanisms to navigate challenging situations later in life,” Throop said. “Coaching is a way to help each individual and every team learn more about themselves and to grow.”
Although Throop had been out of coaching previously, he said he always had a feeling he would be back.
“I have stayed involved in the game in different capacities, including most recently as a high school and collegiate referee,” he said. “While I enjoy refereeing, I would catch myself in games analyzing player technique and game tactics, and those teaching and competitive juices never truly left me. Once there was an opening, I had a few people reach out to me, I weighed the decision, especially at home, and decided that now was the time.”
With decades of experience, Throop said his vision is a team that emphasizes character and culture.
“Over the next five years, the goal is to see the sport in Coronado grow as a whole, from increased numbers in the existing age-group programs to enhancing the competitive levels of the high school program,” he added. “Over the next decade, the objective is to see Coronado water polo teams become, once again, the standard-bearer for teams in and out of the sport.”
