Bio following her retirement announcement
Carin Crawford, who led the San Diego State water polo program for the past 24 years, announced on June 1, 2022, she is retiring as the head water polo coach at San Diego State.
"After 24 memorable seasons, it's time for me to step away," Crawford said. "I'm grateful to all the incredible athletes I've had the honor to coach here at San Diego State and I'm proud of all we've accomplished together. It's been an incredible ride and I want to thank SDSU Athletics for taking a chance on a young female coach so many years ago. As I look back on my coaching career at SDSU, I can truly say my heart is full."
"Carin's had an amazing career spanning SDSU's start in Division I, and included conference championships, NCAA tournaments and countless coaching accolades," SDSU director of athletics John David Wicker said. "More importantly, Carin has been a great leader for generations of young women and the graduates of our water polo program are proof of that. I'm very appreciative of all Carin has done to advance the sport of water polo and our Aztec program. "
San Diego State, which made the NCAA water polo tournament three times and finished in a program-best fourth place in 2007 under Crawford's guidance, will begin a national search for its next coach immediately.
Crawford, who compiled a career record of 475-329 (.591), including a 110-90 (.550) mark in league contests, led San Diego State water polo in 24 of its 28 years of existence.
Crawford first guided SDSU into the national spotlight in 2007, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. The Aztecs placed fourth at the tournament and finished the campaign with a then-program record 29 victories (29-10). The fourth-place finish is the highest for any San Diego State program since the inception of the Directors' Cup in the 1993-94 school year.
In 2008, She led the Scarlet and Black to a second consecutive NCAA tournament, finishing in fifth place to post consecutive top-five finishes. For the second year in a row, Crawford's team finished the campaign with a school record 31 wins. In addition, she earned her 200th career victory in a 13-6 win over Maryland on Feb. 9. In 2016, the Aztecs finished the NCAA Championship in eighth place and were ranked No. 14 at the conclusion of the campaign.
She earned her 300th win on Feb. 11, 2012, in an 18-2 win over Sonoma State, her 400th versus UC San Diego in a 5-4 victory on Feb. 12, 2017, and her 475th win in the quarterfinal game of the 2022 Golden Coast Conference (GCC) tournament in an 8-7 overtime decision over Azusa Pacific.
In 23 of her 24 seasons on the Aztecs pool deck, her team completed competition ranked in the top-20 of the American Water Polo Coaches Association (AWPCA) rankings. The only season the team was not in the top-20 of the final rankings was in 2022, when San Diego State finished No. 21.
In each of the last 10 seasons her teams finished with winning conference records and in five of those campaigns, the Aztecs were undefeated in league action.
Prior to water polo becoming an NCAA championship sport in 2001, the Aztecs advanced to the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship in Crawford's first two seasons, finishing fifth (1999) and sixth (2000). A year later, her Aztec team took second at the postseason National Collegiate Select Tournament.
Her players have earned 52 All-American honors, 65 all-conference designations, 37 conference players of the week, 19 conference all-tournament team, four NCAA All-Tournament team and three all-region team honors.
A USA Water Polo Sandy Nitta Distinguished Coaching Award recipient in 2016 & 2017 for the Pacific Southwest Zone, the players she coached occupy every place among the top-10 in the program's career records, as well as nearly all of the single-season and single game records.
In the classroom, her student-athletes took home 122 conference all-academic awards, including 68 from the Golden Coast Conference, 117 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic Team honors, and five ACWPC Academic Team Awards (2009, 2012, 2018, 2019 & 2020). This past season was highlighted by senior driver Spencer Samuel, who received $12,500 in tuition assistance for the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Dr Pepper as part of the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway program which supports student-athletes looking to become teachers.
In her final season on The Mesa, she posted a 13-17 record, 4-3 in GCC action and finished in fourth place in the conference tournament.
-SDSU-
During her collegiate career, Crawford was a co-captain for UC San Diego and received All-America honors in 1988 and 1989. She graduated cum laude 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.
As a former athlete representative to USA Water Polo, Crawford has worked at the grassroots level to raise the status of women's water polo to an Olympic and NCAA championship sport. Her contributions paid off when women's water polo was included in the 2000 Olympics and was recognized as an NCAA championship sport in 2001.
A native of Albuquerque, N.M., Crawford attended Valley High School. She enjoys surfing, gardening and spending time with her husband, Jack, and two sons, Jackson and Shane. The family resides in San Diego.
Carin Crawford, who led the San Diego State water polo program for the past 24 years, announced on June 1, 2022, she is retiring as the head water polo coach at San Diego State.
"After 24 memorable seasons, it's time for me to step away," Crawford said. "I'm grateful to all the incredible athletes I've had the honor to coach here at San Diego State and I'm proud of all we've accomplished together. It's been an incredible ride and I want to thank SDSU Athletics for taking a chance on a young female coach so many years ago. As I look back on my coaching career at SDSU, I can truly say my heart is full."
"Carin's had an amazing career spanning SDSU's start in Division I, and included conference championships, NCAA tournaments and countless coaching accolades," SDSU director of athletics John David Wicker said. "More importantly, Carin has been a great leader for generations of young women and the graduates of our water polo program are proof of that. I'm very appreciative of all Carin has done to advance the sport of water polo and our Aztec program. "
San Diego State, which made the NCAA water polo tournament three times and finished in a program-best fourth place in 2007 under Crawford's guidance, will begin a national search for its next coach immediately.
Crawford, who compiled a career record of 475-329 (.591), including a 110-90 (.550) mark in league contests, led San Diego State water polo in 24 of its 28 years of existence.
Crawford first guided SDSU into the national spotlight in 2007, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. The Aztecs placed fourth at the tournament and finished the campaign with a then-program record 29 victories (29-10). The fourth-place finish is the highest for any San Diego State program since the inception of the Directors' Cup in the 1993-94 school year.
In 2008, She led the Scarlet and Black to a second consecutive NCAA tournament, finishing in fifth place to post consecutive top-five finishes. For the second year in a row, Crawford's team finished the campaign with a school record 31 wins. In addition, she earned her 200th career victory in a 13-6 win over Maryland on Feb. 9. In 2016, the Aztecs finished the NCAA Championship in eighth place and were ranked No. 14 at the conclusion of the campaign.
She earned her 300th win on Feb. 11, 2012, in an 18-2 win over Sonoma State, her 400th versus UC San Diego in a 5-4 victory on Feb. 12, 2017, and her 475th win in the quarterfinal game of the 2022 Golden Coast Conference (GCC) tournament in an 8-7 overtime decision over Azusa Pacific.
In 23 of her 24 seasons on the Aztecs pool deck, her team completed competition ranked in the top-20 of the American Water Polo Coaches Association (AWPCA) rankings. The only season the team was not in the top-20 of the final rankings was in 2022, when San Diego State finished No. 21.
In each of the last 10 seasons her teams finished with winning conference records and in five of those campaigns, the Aztecs were undefeated in league action.
Prior to water polo becoming an NCAA championship sport in 2001, the Aztecs advanced to the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship in Crawford's first two seasons, finishing fifth (1999) and sixth (2000). A year later, her Aztec team took second at the postseason National Collegiate Select Tournament.
Her players have earned 52 All-American honors, 65 all-conference designations, 37 conference players of the week, 19 conference all-tournament team, four NCAA All-Tournament team and three all-region team honors.
A USA Water Polo Sandy Nitta Distinguished Coaching Award recipient in 2016 & 2017 for the Pacific Southwest Zone, the players she coached occupy every place among the top-10 in the program's career records, as well as nearly all of the single-season and single game records.
In the classroom, her student-athletes took home 122 conference all-academic awards, including 68 from the Golden Coast Conference, 117 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic Team honors, and five ACWPC Academic Team Awards (2009, 2012, 2018, 2019 & 2020). This past season was highlighted by senior driver Spencer Samuel, who received $12,500 in tuition assistance for the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Dr Pepper as part of the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway program which supports student-athletes looking to become teachers.
In her final season on The Mesa, she posted a 13-17 record, 4-3 in GCC action and finished in fourth place in the conference tournament.
-SDSU-
During her collegiate career, Crawford was a co-captain for UC San Diego and received All-America honors in 1988 and 1989. She graduated cum laude 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.
As a former athlete representative to USA Water Polo, Crawford has worked at the grassroots level to raise the status of women's water polo to an Olympic and NCAA championship sport. Her contributions paid off when women's water polo was included in the 2000 Olympics and was recognized as an NCAA championship sport in 2001.
A native of Albuquerque, N.M., Crawford attended Valley High School. She enjoys surfing, gardening and spending time with her husband, Jack, and two sons, Jackson and Shane. The family resides in San Diego.