Susan Ortwein

Susan Ortwein begins her 27th season on The Farm and 14th as associate head coach for the Stanford women's water polo program in 2024.

In her 26 years with the Cardinal, Ortwein has coached Stanford to a 622-89 overall record, nine NCAA titles and seven MPSF Championship titles. Additionally, the nationally-ranked powerhouse Cardinal has produced 14 Olympians and dozens of U.S. Senior National Team members during that time.

Since Ortwein arrived at Stanford, the Cardinal boasts 12 ACWPC Players of the Year, seven Peter J. Cutino award winners combining for 10 honors and 55 ACWPC All-Americans earning 137 honors.

In the fall of 2010, she was named associate head coach after serving as an assistant for the previous 13 years.

On the international level, Ortwein and the Cardinal represented the United States at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea. She was named assistant coach of the U.S. Senior National "B" Team in July 2010 and served on the coaching staff of the squad for the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China.

In 1998, Ortwein served as assistant coach of the U.S. Senior National Team. In addition to her responsibilities at Stanford, she helped to prepare the U.S. women for the 2000 Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy. The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where the U.S. won the silver medal, marked the first time women's water polo had been in the Olympic Games.

Ortwein, a former collegiate water polo and swimming standout, came to The Farm from the University of the Pacific, where she spent two years at the helm of the Tiger women's water polo program.

At Pacific in 1996, Ortwein became the head coach of the school's first women's water polo team. Successful in establishing a competitive program, she completed her final year (1997) by guiding the Tigers to a 10-14 record, doubling the win total of the inaugural campaign, and establishing Pacific's place among the nation's top competitors.

Ortwein's coaching career began at her alma mater, UC Santa Barbara. She served as a graduate assistant coach for the Gaucho swim team in 1990-91 and as a women's water polo assistant in 1992-93.

In college, Ortwein was one of the top water polo players in UCSB history. A four-time All-American, she was instrumental in two Gaucho national championships (1987 and 1989) and one runner-up finish (1988). She was also an accomplished swimmer, helping UCSB to the Big West Conference title all four years.

She continued her water polo career with the U.S. National Team upon graduation. A national team member in 1991-92, she helped lead the U.S. to a third-place finish at the 1991 FINA World Cup.

Ortwein, a San Diego native, earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from UC Santa Barbara in 1990 and a master's degree in sport science in 1997 from Pacific.