STANFORD, Calif. - Brian Flacks has been named Stanford's Dunlevie Family Director of Men's Water Polo, announced today by Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir.
Flacks, the fifth head coach in the history of the program, arrives on The Farm with over a decade of coaching experience at both the prep and national team levels. He has served as the Aquatic Director and Head Boys' Coach at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles since 2011 and is the current Head Coach of the United States U-18 National Youth Team, while serving as an assistant for the senior men's national team.
"We are excited to welcome Brian Flacks to The Farm to lead our men's water polo program," said Muir. "Brian stood out throughout the interview process, and it became clear that he would bring a great amount of high-level experience and a sincere curiosity to find out how we can build on the success already established here at Stanford."
"It has been my absolute dream to coach at Stanford since I started my coaching career," said Flacks. "I am extremely honored and humbled to accept this position and look forward to building upon Coach Vargas' incredible legacy. I can't wait to join the Stanford community full of remarkable students, athletes, faculty, and alumni – Go Card!"
Flacks brings a number of impressive accolades with him to Stanford, earning the Monte Nitzkowski Coaching Award in 2019, given by USA Water Polo to the top men's coach in the country. Additionally, he won the Bill Barnett Distinguished Coaching Award in 2014, also given by USA Water Polo to the top youth coach in the country. Flacks is a five-time CIF-SS and Daily News Coach of the Year.
With a proven track record of creating an elite culture and program at Harvard-Westlake, Flacks established the Wolverines as the top high school program in the country, producing four CIF-SS Division I championships and more NCAA players than any other school.
Alongside his role at Harvard-Westlake, Flacks founded LA Premier Water Polo Club, one of the most successful in the country, and coached the Harvard-Westlake Girls' Water Polo CIF-winning program to one of the longest active winning streaks in the country. He became head coach of Olympic Club, where he coached several notable Cardinal alumni, including Ben Hallock, Drew Holland, Connor Stapleton, Jackson Kimbell, Blake Parrish, Tyler Abramson and Dylan Woodhead. His role as head coach of the Team USA U-18 team for the last four years has seen the team produce success on the international stage while developing, maintaining and evaluating the pipeline of top youth talent in the nation.
A native of Santa Monica, California, Flacks earned his bachelor's degree in history and played two seasons at UCLA, graduating in 2010, before playing one season at Loyola Marymount that fall. Flacks is also an alumnus of Harvard-Westlake School. He features experience as a player for the United States U-17 and U-19 national teams.
Flacks succeeds John Vargas, who announced his retirement last month. The Cardinal has won 11 NCAA championships and eight MPSF titles, including three of the last four.
