Newport Harbor water polo coach Ross Sinclair named CIF Coach of the Year
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Newport Harbor High School water polo head coach and director Ross Sinclair was awarded the CIF Open Division Coach of the Year in 2022, making it the second consecutive year he was selected. He adds these awards to the Bill Barnett Distinguished Coaching Award he received from USA Water Polo in 2021.
Sinclair was born and raised in Newport Beach, where he attended Newport Harbor High School and played water polo. He won the CIF Championship in 2000 and was named Sea View League Most Valuable Player in 2002 and 2003. He was also named Second Team All-CIF Southern Section in 2002 and 2003.
After a successful high school water polo career, Sinclair became a two-time All-American at UC Santa Barbara. In addition, he was selected to be a part of the UCSB Athletics All-Decade Team and is ranked number 5 as the all-time leading goal scorer in the program’s history.
Following college, Coach Sinclair played for five years professionally in Europe, Australia, and South America. He led the Australian National League in scoring while earning All-Australian Honors twice. All while playing, Sinclair gained more than a decade of coaching experience.
In his earlier coaching days, he was 18U Head Coach for the women’s Southern Pacific Zone ODP Team and was honored with being named the tournament’s Top 18U Coach. At the ODP National Tournament, Sinclair led the Southern Pacific Zone’s 18U team to a championship. For the past five years, he has been a member of the USA Boys Youth National Team coaching staff. As the head coach, he led Team USA to a Silver Medal at the 2022 Pan American games and a 9th place finish at 2022 FINA Youth World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. He currently serves as the USA Men’s Junior National Team assistant coach.
Before joining the NHHS Water Polo program, he was the CDM Aquatics Girls Program Director and 18U Girls Head Coach. Sinclair was also the girls’ age group director at Newport Water Polo Foundation and assisted with the boys’ team at Newport Harbor. In addition, his coaching extends to all levels at numerous club programs.
Outside of coaching, Sinclair teaches World History at Newport Harbor High School. He also just completed his 20th summer as a Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard. In his personal time, he enjoys spending his free time at the beach with his wife, Coco, and their three daughters, Avalon (5), Tilly (3), and Sawyer (2).
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