IRVINE, Calif. – Former UC San Diego women's water polo standout Carin Crawford will be inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame this June.
A multiple-time All-American for the Tritons, Crawford is also the all-time winningest coach in San Diego State University history.
Crawford was an athlete before she became the most accomplished women's water polo coach in San Diego history. She was the first woman to play on the Santa Rosa Junior College men's water polo team. She later co-captained the women's team at UC San Diego, earning All-America accolades in 1988 and 1989. On the US Women's Senior National Team, Crawford competed in tournaments in The Netherlands, Hungary, and the UK. She also suited up for Tasmania at the 1990 Australian National Championships. Crawford also played domestically for Sunset San Diego and won multiple summer and winter national championship titles. Today, she competes at the Masters level and recently earned a silver medal at the 2025 World Aquatics Masters World Championships in Singapore.
Crawford's coaching career began in 1990 with the San Luis Obispo High School boys' junior varsity program. In 1996, she led the girls' programs at San Diego Mesa College and Sunset San Diego to four Junior Olympic medals. In 1998, she was named head coach of women's water polo at San Diego State University where she began a legendary 24-year run. Crawford built the Aztecs into a perennial contender, and led the team to a program-record 475 wins. Under her guidance, the Aztecs reached the NCAA tournament three times and never finished outside of the top 25 in the country.
Crawford's teams also produced 52 All-Americans and 122 All-Academic conference selections. As a result, she was named 2016 Golden Coast Conference Coach of the Year and, in 2024, received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). Crawford remains heavily involved in the sport. From 2003 to 2007, she served on the NCAA Women's Water Polo Committee. She co-founded WOWPAC to advance women's coaching, and was an ACWPC vice president from 2018 to 2022. More recently, she transitioned to officiating for high schools and colleges and serves as a referee evaluator at the college varsity level.
Crawford graduated cum laude from UC San Diego in 1989 and returned to earn her master's degree in U.S. history in 1992, while also competing on the U.S. National Team.
Crawford is one of four 2026 inductees that represent athletic and coaching excellence from the collegiate and club ranks up to the world stage at the Olympic Games. The class also includes 2012 Olympic gold medalist Annika Dries, 2008 Olympic silver medalist Peter Hudnut, and Chris Judge, who turned his stellar athletic career at Fordham into decades of success playing and coaching at the New York Athletic Club.
The Hall of Fame induction luncheon will be held June 19 at 11 a.m. pacific at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Brea North Orange County in Brea, Calif. To purchase individual tickets, tables, or program ads
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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.
