This summer we'll be featuring various coaches from our 23 teams in a Q&A format on UCSDTritons.com as well as our social media accounts.

Brad Kreutzkamp enters his 14th season as head coach of UC San Diego's women's water polo program. 

In 13 seasons coaching the Tritons, Kreutzkamp has guided UC San Diego to eight Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) championships and eight appearances at the NCAA Championship while posting an overall record of 264-180 (.595) during his tenure. He has been named ACWPC and WWPA Coach of the Year five times during this stretch.

Last season, Kreutzkamp led the Tritons to the semifinals of the Big West Conference championship. During UC San Diego's first full season in the Big West (2021), the Tritons went 3-2 in conference action with wins against Hawai‘i, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis. Ciara Franke was named the Big West Player of the Year, the first Triton Athlete to be named Big West POY in any sport.

Kreutzkamp was named the head coach of the women's water polo team in September of 2009. He came to UC San Diego as an assistant with the women's team in 1999, before joining longtime head coach Denny Harper on the men's staff the following season. He served as an assistant under Harper until 2006, when he was promoted to associate head coach (2006-10).

What's an interesting fact about you that's not listed in your bio?
I'm a huge Padres fan!

Any exciting summer plans?
I went sailing for a week in the Sea of Cortez.

What's one skill you wish you had or would like to learn?
I wish I could play a musical instrument. I'm horrible at them all!

What are three words you would use to describe your team culture?
Fun, intense, caring.
 
What are you looking forward to most with your squad next season?
Traveling and winning a Big West conference championship.

What is your favorite coaching memory?
Winning the very first CIF championship in San Diego history with a group of girls who had never played water polo just 18 months before.

Who has influenced you most in your career and why?
Probably [former UC San Diego administrator] Ken Grosse. He has always been a voice of reason and challenged me at every turn. He was quick to compliment and critique but always was spot on.

What's one piece of advice you've received that has stuck with you?
I received some great advice from [UC San Diego Hall of Famer] Brian McManus 15 years ago when I asked him how I should coach women differently than men. He told me they deserve nothing less than to be coached exactly the same.

What advice would you give to potential student-athletes who are going through the recruiting process?
Get multiple honest opinions from different coaches on where you deserve to land. Sometimes your own coach can be a little biased so getting different opinions will serve you a world of good and landing in the correct spot for yourself.

What stands out to you most when evaluating prospective student-athletes at camps or summer tournaments?
It's pretty straightforward: the harder you can shoot the ball the more I will watch.

Check back on UCSDTritons.com all summer long for future editions of “Coaches' Corner" from other UC San Diego coaches. Previous “Coaches' Corner” entries are below.

• Nate Garcia (Cross Country)
• Kristin Jones (Women's Soccer)
• Juan Ignacio Calderon (Fencing)
• Fred Hanover (Men's Golf)

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.