Oct. 5, 2010

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford women's water polo's Susan Ortwein has been named the program's associate head coach, head coach John Tanner announced Tuesday. Ortwein has spent the previous 13 seasons as an assistant coach with the successful Cardinal program.

"It is an honor to be the associate head coach and I want to thank John Tanner and Stanford Athletics for their commitment to me and our program," Ortwein said. "To be able to coach such great student-athletes and train in the most amazing facility is a privilege and one I look forward to enjoying for years to come."

In her 13 seasons at Stanford, Ortwein has helped lead the Cardinal to a 323-55 (.855) record, one national championship (2002), six NCAA runner-up finishes and five MPSF titles. Last season, she helped guide the Cardinal to a 26-3 overall record, including a perfect 7-0 MPSF mark, and an appearance in the national championship game.

"At Stanford, the Associate Head Coach title is held by some of the most esteemed coaches in the country, people who have turned down head coaching jobs at high profile schools because they love Stanford and the incredible scholar-athletes we attract here," Tanner noted. "Susan is Associate Head Coach because she has demonstrated ongoing brilliance and loyalty, not because we hope to elicit her loyalty.

"Susan has been one of the most accomplished head coaches in recent USA Water Polo history and is one of the best goalie and two-meter position coaches in the country," Tanner continued. "She has played a major role in the development of our Olympians, especially Ellen Estes and Jackie Frank. Susan has earned this title by proving she can develop individual athletes and win national championships as a head coach."

"Susan was an incredible and devoted coach," said former Stanford All-American and 2004 Olympian Jacqueline (Frank) De Luca. "I have never received the degree of individual attention and coaching that she gave to me while at Stanford. She would videotape me in the goal at practice, would look over the tapes repeatedly looking for ways I could improve, and then would invent unique drills designed solely to work on my weaknesses. Susan also designed personalized dry land and weightlifting for all of the goalies. Her creativity in coaching helped me improve more than I would have ever predicted."

"From one-on-one video sessions of both sides of the pool to specialized training based on each athlete's strengths and weaknesses, Susan dedicates herself to individual development as players and as people," said 2008 Olympian and Stanford All-American Jessica Steffens. "She gives us the tools we need in practice to solve in-game problems, especially at two meters."

Internationally, Ortwein, in late July, was named an assistant coach of the U.S. National "B" Team, in preparation for the 2011 World University Games. Previously, she had served as an assistant coach for the Senior National Team from 1998-2000, when she helped prepare the U.S. squad for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in the first Olympic women's water polo tournament.