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Bucknell's John Abdou Named to USA Men's National Team Coaching Staff
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell Univeristy head men’s and women’s water polo coach John Abdou has been named an assistant coach of the USA Men’s Senior National “B” Team. Abdou, who is in his fifth year with the Bison program, will be a member of a staff headed by UC Irvine coach Marc Hunt.
Hunt, who like Abdou is a UC Irvine alum, will also have California assistant coach Boyd LaChance on the staff.
Abdou’s appointment as assistant coach will have him on the pool deck all the way through the 2011 World University Games in China. The USA Men’s Senior National “B” Team’s first competition with Abdou as an assistant coach will be May 2-9 at the FINA World League Preliminaries in Los Alamitos, Calif.
In addition to this new role, Abdou also serves as the Olympic Development Program Eastern Region Technical Director. In that capacity he is responsible for evaluation camps and the selection process of the Junior, Cadet and Youth National Teams.
Abdou recently completed a season in which he lead the Bison women's water polo team to a fifth place finish at the Eastern Championship and a first-place finish in the CWPA Southern Division. He is 61-37 (.622) at the helm of the women’s program.
Abdou has been just as successful leading the Bison men’s program. He owns a 34-30 (.531) record in two years as head coach. In 2009, Bucknell finished 17-14 and placed third at the Eastern Championship, its best showing at the event since a runner-up finish in 1993. It was the fourth consecutive year the Bison posted an above-.500 finish.
In his five years at Bucknell, Abdou has been an assistant coach, associate head coach and head coach of both the men’s and women’s water polo programs.
Release courtesy Bucknell Athletic Communications
