LA JOLLA, Calif. — After more than two decades at UC San Diego, head women's water polo coach Brad Kreutzkamp announced his retirement Thursday.

As the Tritons' head coach from 2010 through 2025, Kreutzkamp racked up 313 wins with 223 losses (.584). Over the 16-year span UC San Diego posted a winning record 12 times.

Kreutzkamp was tabbed the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Coach of the Year five times and the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Coach of the Year on five occasions as well.

UC San Diego won eight WWPA titles (seven-straight between 2013 and 2019) and made eight appearances in the NCAA National Collegiate Championship, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2019.

In 2025, UC San Diego posted a 17-14 record and a 4-3 mark in Big West action while climbing as high as No. 9 in the national poll. Highlights from Kreutzkamp's final season included the Tritons defeating Arizona State in late January, giving him his 300th career victory. In addition, UC San Diego won its ninth-consecutive Harper Cup against San Diego State and posted its best-ever finish at the ultra-competitive Barbara Kalbus Invitational. Caroline Christl and Kendall Thomas earned ACWPC All-America recognition and four Tritons were honored with All-Big West acclaim. 

The 2016 campaign saw the Tritons go 28-11 (.718), their most wins in a single season under Kreutzkamp's tutelage.

In 2020, the Tritons made the jump from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I status, which included the team becoming a member of the Big West. They opened by defeating California for the first time in program history. On February 29, UC San Diego won its first Big West game, topping CSUN to start 1-0 in conference play. Unfortunately, the Big West Championship and National Collegiate Championship were scuttled due to the pandemic.

The following season UC San Diego and Canyonview Aquatic Center hosted the Big West Championship for the first time. The Tritons were edged, 12-11, by UC Irvine in the semifinal round.

In 2022, UC San Diego earned its first-ever Big West Championship victory when it downed UC Davis, 12-11, in double overtime in a quarterfinal. The Tritons duplicated that effort in 2023, 2024, and 2025, advancing to the semis after collecting victories in the quarters.  

Kreutzkamp came to UC San Diego in 1999 as an assistant coach with the women's team. The following season, he joined legendary coach Denny Harper on the men's staff. He served as an assistant under Harper until 2006, when he was promoted to associate head coach, a position he held until 2010.

The Triton men went 194-106 (.646) with Kreutzkamp on the staff, winning WWPA championships in 2000, 2002, and 2006. In his first year with the program, Kreutzkamp helped guide UC San Diego to a 9-8 victory over USC in the NCAA semifinals, making UC San Diego the first non-Division I program to play for a national title.

Prior to his arrival on the La Jolla campus, Kreutzkamp was the head coach of both the boy's and girl's varsity programs at Grossmont High School from 1996-99. He held both positions at Patrick Henry High School for two seasons prior to that. While at Patrick Henry, he led the girl's squad to the inaugural San Diego CIF Division I championship in 1995 and was named both the Girl's Eastern League and CIF D-I Coach of the Year. He also served as the head girls' coach with the highly-successful Sunset Water Polo Club, winning a pair of silver med­als at the 18-U Junior Olympics.

A national search, led by Senior Associate Athletic Director and former Triton water polo player Danielle Melman, will be conducted to replace Kreutzkamp, who will remain on staff until August.
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Brad Kreutzkamp, UC San Diego Women's Water Polo Head Coach
"After 26 unforgettable years coaching at UC San Diego, I'm filled with gratitude and pride as I move into retirement. I had the incredible privilege of starting on the men's side under legendary coach Denny Harper, who not only gave me my first opportunity at UC San Diego but has been a mentor and friend ever since. For the past 16 years, I've had the honor of serving as the head coach for our women's water polo program, and I can truly say it's been the joy of my professional life. I owe a tremendous debt of thanks to the only athletic director I've ever had, Earl Edwards. His belief in me and steady support made this long journey possible. Without him, I wouldn't be here. I want to recognize my very first sports administrator, Ken Grosse, who was a huge influence on me early in my career and someone I'll never forget. And I want to thank my final sports administrator, Danielle Melman '03, who not only played for me but stood beside me in support through the final chapter of my coaching journey. I've also been blessed with outstanding assistant coaches - Jenna Williamson, Nicki Davidson, and Sarah Lizotte. Each of them brought unique passion and insight to our program, and there's no way I could have done this without them. Special thanks as well to our goalie coach Randy Franke, who helped guide a position I'll admit I don't fully understand, but he sure does. To the dozens upon dozens of scholar-athletes I've had the chance to coach—thank you. I can only hope I made a positive impact at some point, in some way, during your time here. And above all, to my wife Victoria—thank you for your never-ending support and love. You've allowed me to live out a dream that most people never get the chance to chase. Coaching at UC San Diego has been a privilege beyond words, and I'm forever grateful."

Earl Edwards, UC San Diego Athletic Director Emeritus
"Over Brad's two-and-a-half decades of coaching with both of our water polo programs, we experienced a great deal of success. In his role as the head coach of our women's team, he accumulated over 300 wins and made our program one of the best in the country. We are grateful for his service and leadership and we wish him nothing but the best during his retirement."

Danielle Melman '03, UC San Diego Senior Associate Athletic Director/Former UC San Diego Water Polo Player
I'd like to congratulate Brad for over two decades of hard work and dedication to Triton water polo and UC San Diego Athletics. Brad has been able to take the women's water polo program to elevated levels, including the pivotal moment of defeating No. 8 Loyola Marymount in the 2011 WWPA Championship final, sending the Tritons to the National Collegiate Championship for the first time in school history. As an alumnus and a UC San Diego athletics administrator, I couldn't be more proud of where women's water polo is today."

Denny Harper, Former UC San Diego Water Polo Coach
"In 1999 I made one of the best phone calls I have ever had to make and that was to welcome Brad Kreutzkamp as an assistant coach with the UC San Diego women's water polo program. Little did I know that would be the beginning of an amazing career at UC San Diego, both as a longtime assistant and associate head coach with the men's program. His performance and success there earned him an outstanding 16-year tenure as our women's head coach. Brad's innovation, energy, and dedication to UC San Diego Athletics will be greatly missed and I wish him the very best in his retirement."

Melissa (Mel) Bartow '14, Former UC San Diego Women's Water Polo Player
"Being part of Brad's first recruiting class was the start of something special—not only for our team, but for all of us individually. Together we won championships, battled at NCAAs, and built bonds that will last a lifetime. Brad taught us how to lead, how to work, and how to believe in each other and in ourselves. The Triton network Brad fostered didn't end at the pool deck, it shaped who we are beyond the water. Brad, thank you for the legacy, the lessons, and the memories that will stay with us forever."

Kendall Thomas '25, Former UC San Diego Women's Water Polo Player
"The past four years at UC San Diego have been so rewarding and transformative and that wouldn't have been possible without Brad. We've got a lot of great stories and memories. I'm grateful to have been coached by him and to be a part of his legacy at UC San Diego." 
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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 began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West 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 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.