John Tanner (JT), who is in his 28th season at the helm of the Stanford women's water polo program in 2025, has guided NCAA and Olympic champions throughout his coaching career.
Since his arrival on The Farm in 1998, Tanner’s teams have won nine NCAA titles, qualified for all 23 NCAA Championships and never finished outside the top three since the event’s inception in 2001.
Tanner, who holds a 641-96 (.869) career coaching record at Stanford, has mentored 12 ACWPC Players of the Year, seven Peter J. Cutino award winners combining for 10 honors and 59 ACWPC All-Americans earning 142 honors. An eight-time ACWPC Coach of the Year and six-time MPSF Coach of the Year, Tanner was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in June 2019 as part of its 35th class.
Over the course of the past nine Summer Olympic Games, 10 of Tanner’s athletes have won 17 Olympic gold medals, 15 in water polo and two in swimming.
Tanner embraces a coach’s potential to develop individuals into teammates, citizens and leaders, impacting long term outcomes through sport, even among those competing in the results driven world of top-tier national and global sport. The Stanford women’s water polo program prioritizes long term human development, champions the program’s potential as an immersive learning experience and expects every team member to value and enhance the entire Stanford community through voice and action.
Two of the greatest athletes and leaders to ever play water polo, Brenda Villa ‘03 and World Aquatics Player of the Decade in the 2000’s, and Maggie Steffens ’17, regarded as the world’s preeminent player of the 2010’s, have served as Team USA captains over the past five Olympic Games and led their squads to three gold medals, representing the only Olympic podium finishes in USA Water Polo history. Villa captained the 2008 silver and 2012 gold medalists while Steffens led the 2016 and 2020 gold medal teams and the 2024 Paris Games squad.
As evidence of the Stanford women’s water polo program’s combined athletic and career brilliance, student-athletes study a full range of fields. Graduates have flourished in courses of study across the humanities, as well as in the life sciences, engineering and computer science. The program has produced 10 NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipients and helped athletes pursue graduate studies at many of the world’s top universities. Of the program’s Olympic medalists, six have been inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame, three of whom are practicing medical doctors.
Prior to Stanford, Tanner spent 12 years (1984-96) at University of the Pacific. Coaching men’s water polo and men’s swimming, Tanner led the Tigers to NCAA championship appearances in both sports, earning a top-five NCAA finish in water polo and a top-20 NCAA men’s swimming performance the same academic year. Named the 1991 Big West Coach of the Year, Tanner’s two-sport Olympian, Brad Schumacher, won two swimming golds for Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics – still the only gold medals in Pacific’s long athletic history – before representing the USA Water Polo program in Sydney 2000.
Originally recruited from Menlo-Atherton High School to swim at Stanford, Tanner instead played on the Cardinal water polo team his freshman year, beginning a career (1978-82) that spanned three national championships and culminated in second-team All-America honors as a senior. A left-handed driver, Tanner helped lead Stanford to a perfect 31-0 record in 1981 – only the second undefeated season in NCAA water polo history. Tanner ranked sixth on the team in goals that season with 27.
In 1982, Tanner finished his career with a 48-goal performance, tying for second on the squad, while leading the Cardinal to a 27-5 record and its third straight NCAA championship match appearance. Tanner was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team and earned All-America honors.
Tanner graduated in December 1982 with a bachelor's degree in political science.
Tanner’s Year-By-Year Record
| Year | School | Record | Conference | National Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Stanford | 19-7 | 4-2/3rd MPSF | NCAA Semifinalist |
| 2023 | Stanford | 24-1 | 5-1/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2022 | Stanford | 25-2 | 5-1/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2021 | Stanford | 13-6 | 8-4/3rd MPSF | NCAA Semifinalist |
| 2020 | Stanford | 15-1* | 1-0* | *Partial season due to COVID-19 |
| 2019 | Stanford | 23-2 | 6-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2018 | Stanford | 20-4 | 3-2/3rd MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2017 | Stanford | 23-3 | 5-1/2nd MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2016 | Stanford | 23-6 | 4-2/3rd MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2015 | Stanford | 25-2 | 6-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2014 | Stanford | 25-1 | 6-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2013 | Stanford | 29-3 | 6-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2012 | Stanford | 26-2 | 7-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2011 | Stanford | 28-1 | 7-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2010 | Stanford | 26-3 | 7-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2009 | Stanford | 26-4 | 6-1/2nd MPSF | 3rd |
| 2008 | Stanford | 27-5 | 11-1/2nd MPSF | 3rd |
| 2007 | Stanford | 27-3 | 12-0/1st MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2006 | Stanford | 24-5 | 10-2/3rd MPSF | 3rd |
| 2005 | Stanford | 21-7 | 9-3/3rd MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2004 | Stanford | 19-5 | 9-1 MPSF | 3rd |
| 2003 | Stanford | 21-3 | 9-1 MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2002 | Stanford | 23-2 | 10-1 MPSF | NCAA Champions |
| 2001 | Stanford | 27-1 | 10-0 MPSF | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2000 | Stanford | 28-5 | 8-1 MPSF | 3rd |
| 1999 | Stanford | 25-6 | 8-1 MPSF | National Collegiate Runner-Up |
| 1998 | Stanford | 29-6 | 8-1 MPSF | 3rd |
| 27 seasons | 641-96 (.869) | 9 NCAA titles, 7 MPSF titles |
Accolades and Honors
| Year | Honor |
|---|---|
| 2023 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2022 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2020 | USOPC College Coach of the Year |
| 2019 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2019 | MPSF Coach of the Year |
| 2017 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2015 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2014 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2012 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2011 | ACWPC National Coach of the Year |
| 2008 | MPSF Coach of the Year |
| 2007 | MPSF Coach of the Year |
| 2003 | MPSF Coach of the Year |
| 2002 | MPSF Coach of the Year |
| 1998 | MPSF Coach of the Year |
By The Numbers
| Total | Honor/Milestone |
|---|---|
| 45 | Total Olympians coached (19 Stanford women's water polo, 1 University of the Pacific men's swimming, 25 as assistant coach of USA Water Polo): Serena Browne, Margie Dingeldein, Annika Dries, Ellen Estes, Aria Fischer, Makenzie Fischer, Jenna Flynn, Jackie Frank, Allison Gregorka, Dani Jackovich, Jamie Neushul, Kiley Neushul, Ryann Neushul, Jordan Raney, Jewel Roemer, Brad Schumacher, Melissa Seidemann, Gurpreet Sohi, Jessica Steffens, Maggie Steffens, Brenda Villa, Team USA 1992 men's water polo team (13 players), USA 2000 men's water polo team (12 players) |
| 27 | Olympic medals won by Tanner's Stanford and Pacific student-athletes (17 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze): Margie Dingeldein (bronze), Annika Dries (gold), Ellen Estes (silver/bronze), Aria Fischer (gold/gold), Makenzie Fischer (gold/gold), Jackie Frank (bronze), Allison Gregorka (silver), Dani Jackovich (silver), Jamie Neushul (gold), Kiley Neushul (gold), Brad Schumacher (gold/gold), Melissa Seidemann (gold/gold/gold), Jessica Steffens (silver/gold), Maggie Steffens (gold/gold/gold), Brenda Villa (silver/bronze/silver/gold) |
| 26 | Top-3 national finishes; Tanner's teams ahve never finished outside the top-3 |
| 23 | NCAA appearances: Stanford is only team to qualify for every NCAA tournament |
| 10 | Olympic gold medalists coached: Annika Dries, Aria Fischer, Makenzie Fischer, Jamie Neushul, Kiley Neushul, Brad Schumacher, Maggie Seidemann, Jessica Steffens, Maggie Steffens, Brenda Villa |
| 10 | NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients: Monica Coughlan, Annika Dries, Aria Fischer, Makenzie Fischer, Jackie Frank, Ashley Grossman, Kat Klass, Kate Pettit, Scotti Shafer, Maggie Steffens |
| 9 | NCAA titles |
| 6 | Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame members: Margie Dingeldein, Annika Dries, Ellen Estes, Jackie Frank, Melissa Seidemann, Brenda Villa |
| 3 | Olympic medalists who are currently practicing MD's: Margie Dingeldein, Annika Dries, Jackie Frank |
| 3 | Olympic coaching appointments: 1992, 2000 Team USA men's water polo assistant coach, 1996 Team USA Swimming advisory staff coach |
| 2 | Coached both global gold medal teams in USA men's water polo history (1991 and 1997 FINA Cup) |
| 1 | Coached only gold medalist in University of the Pacific's history - Brad Schumacher (1996 swimming, 2 gold medals) |