CdM hires Evans

Barry Faulkner

Mike Evans, a former UC Irvine All-American who played for three

United States Olympic teams, has been named boys water polo coach at

Corona del Mar High.

Evans, 43, a walk-on who hopes to finalize work on a teaching

credential next spring, ran his first practice with the Sea Kings

Monday. He replaces Tim Salvino, who resigned earlier this month

after one season at the helm.

“They’ve got a great tradition, they’ve won CIF a number of times

and they place a lot of emphasis on their water polo,” Evans said of

the Sea Kings. “I’m a water polo enthusiast and I’m really looking

forward to working with kids who have the same interest level I do.

There were close to 50 boys there [Monday] at 5:45 a.m. and they were

very eager.”

Evans, a 1984 graduate of UCI, was a four-year starter for the

Anteaters. He led the nation in scoring as a senior two-meter man,

then shifted to driver as a member of the 1988, ’92 and ’96 Olympic

teams. He also played on the Newport Water Polo Foundation club team

for 20 years and has some knowledge of CdM players, having worked

with Salvino and longtime former CdM coach John Vargas as an

assistant, before becoming the men’s and women’s water polo coach at

Saddleback College last fall.

Evans said he regrets the timing of leaving Saddleback so close to

the start of the season, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to

head up such a distinguished program.

“I’m looking forward to being able to work with high school kids

for four years, as opposed to two years at the community college

level,” Evans said. “And I think [water polo] is a higher priority

for high school kids.”

Evans, who played alongside Vargas at UCI and on the national

team, said he plans to continue much of the system implemented by

Vargas and maintained by Salvino.

“I’ll do some things differently, but, for the most part, there

are no secrets to having success in water polo. You have to play

smart and you have to be in shape,” Evans said.

The Corona del Mar resident said he will also place an emphasis on

having fun and he hopes to help his players advance to play at the

collegiate level.

“This morning, I kind of walked the kids through my life in the

sport and the opportunities water polo has created for me,” Davis

said. “If my players could have the same ride I did in the sport,

that would be great.”

The Sea Kings, who finished 20-8 last season and lost to Long

Beach Wilson in the CIF Southern Section Division I title game,

capped Vargas’ 19-year tenure with CIF Division II crowns in 2001,

2000 and 1999. Vargas, who left CdM to become men’s coach at

Stanford, led CdM to seven of its 12 CIF championships.