After helping the Golden Bears during their run to the NCAA championship in 2016, Johnny Bega joins the Cal men's water polo staff as an assistant coach for the 2017 season.
Bega, who briefly joined the Cal women's water polo staff in the fall of 2016, brings a wealth of experience to Berkeley. From 2006-2016 he worked in a variety of roles at San Jose State and was named interim head coach in 2013 following the untimely death of longtime head coach Lou Tully. Bega was officially named head coach in July of 2014 after leading the Spartans to a 20-13 record. That 2014 squad set a program record for scoring with 393 goals and Bega was named the 2014 MPSF Coach of the Year. SJSU followed with a 21-10 record in 2015, finished fifth at the MPSF Tournament and was ranked eighth nationally to end the season.
From 2009-13, Bega served as associate head coach for the Spartans after joining the staff as an assistant in 2006. In 2009, he handled many of the game-day head coaching responsibilities while Tully underwent medical treatments and helped SJSU go 20-14.
On the international level, Bega has served as the USA National Zone 11 junior girls and youth boys head coach. From 1997-2001, he coached in Japan, Hungary, Brazil, Greece and Holland.
As a club coach, he directed the Long Beach Shore Aquatics club from 1996-2002. During that time, his teams won five gold medals, seven silver medals and four bronze medals at the Junior Olympics.
Also an accomplished high school coach, Bega led Wilson High School in Long Beach, Calif. to three CIF Division I titles. He also guided Marina-Huntington Beach to the 2001 Sunset League title on both the boys and girls sides and in 2007 led Menlo-Atherton High School to the boys CIF Division I title.
