Kreutzkamp heading to Golden West

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Harbor High boys water polo and swim coach

Brian Kreutzkamp has resigned from the Sailors’ program in order to

accept men’s water polo head coaching position at Golden West College.

“It was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up,” Kreutzkamp said. “I

played there out of high school and I kept in touch with that program for

years. When the position opened up, they came to me. It’s a challenge I

look forward to.”

Kreutzkamp spent the past five seasons at Newport Harbor, working

along side longtime coach Bill Barnett.

In his five years at Newport, Kreutzkamp has led the Sailors to four

Sea View League titles and one CIF Southern Section Division I

championship, which came this past season against Foothill.

Before his tenure at Newport, Kreutzkamp spent two seasons at his alma

mater, Costa Mesa, where he guided the Mustangs to two Pacific Coast

League titles and a CIF Division II title in 1995.

“This entire community of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach is great when

it comes to water polo support,” Kreutzkamp said. “It’s been way more

than I ever expected and I’m going to miss everyone involved in this

area. I’ll still be involved with Newport on a club basis.”

Kreutzkamp will lead a Rustler program drenched in winning tradition.

Golden West has won nine of the past 11 California Community College

men’s water polo championships.

“It’s a great program and I look forward to carry on the tradition,

hopefully,” Kreutzkamp said. “I’ve always wanted to throw my hat in to

the collegiate coaching level and when the opportunity arose, I couldn’t

turn it down.”

According to Kreutzkamp, his decision to leave Newport Harbor had

nothing to do with the rumored unrest of virtually the entire Sailors’

coaching staff with current administration over the past few months.

“We’ve (the coaching staff at Newport) weathered bigger storms than

this,” Kreutzkamp said. “That did not equate into the decision at all.”

Kreutzkamp, 28, said he would still entertain the thought of returning

to Newport Harbor, if the right situation presented itself.

“I’ll keep my foot in the door,” he said. “I would definitely consider

coming back if the right opportunity came up. We’ll just have to wait and

see what happens.”

Kreutzkamp is the second coach to leave Newport Harbor this year. Boys

and girls golf coach Jim Warren abruptly resigned midway through the boys

golf season in early March and was replaced by Marianne Towersey.