The World Water Polo Coaches Association has chosen the best coaches of the year in the world for the fifth time.
Adam Krikorian, the head coach of the USA female team, was chosen for the fourth time as the Best Women’s Team coach.
Alessandro Campagna, who led Italy to the gold medal at the World Championships, and Zsolt Varga, the head coach of the European champion Ferencvaros, shared the title of the Best Men’s Team coach in 2019.
WWPCA chose the best colleagues by the votes from the coaches who are the members of the Board of Directors.
Seventeen coaches voted: Petar Porobic (Montenegro – president of the WWPCA Board of directors), Ratko Rudic (Croatia – vice president), Dragan Jovanovic (Serbia – executive director), Alessandro Campagna (Italy), Dejan Udovicic (Serbia), Yannis Giannouris (Greece), Karl Izzo (Malta), Paolo Malara (Italy), Adel Shamaia (Egypt), Adam Wright (USA), John Vargas (USA), Quim Colet Genesias (Spain), Sergey Drozdov (Kazahstan), Fabio Conti (Italy), Balazs Vince (Hungary), John Abdou (USA), Coralie Simmons (USA).
-Alessandro Campagna didn’t vote for the Best Men’s Team Coach this time, because he was one of the candidates for the award – Dragan Jovanovic, WWPCA executive director, said.
On the women’s side, the decision was easy. Adam Krikorian won all three major competitions in 2019 (FINA World Championships, FINA World League, Pan American Games).
-All members of the Board agreed that Krikorian should be the only candidate for the award on the women’s side. But, on the men’s side, the choice was much tougher, since two coaches, Campagna and Varga, stood out as the candidates with amazing results in 2019. Sixteen coaches votes. Campagna and Varga received eight votes each, so the WWPCA Board of directors decided to name two coaches best in 2019 – Jovanovic explained.
Campagna deserved the award for the winning the FINA World Championships with Italy, while Zsolt Varga led Ferencvaros to four club titles in 2019: LEN Champions League, LEN Super Cup, Hungarian Championships and Hungarian Cup. The Hungarian was chosen as the best coach in the world for the second year in a row.
All winners
Best coaches in 2019:
Women’s best coach: – Adam Krikorian (USA)
Men’s best coaches – Alessandro Campagna (ITA) and Zsolt Varga (HUN)
Best coaches in 2018:
Women’s best coach – Arno Havenga (NED)
Men’s best coach – Zsolt Varga (HUN)
Best coaches in 2017:
Women’s best coach – Adam Krikorian (USA)
Men’s best coach – Ivica Tucak (CRO)
Best coaches in 2016:
Women’s best coach – Adam Krikorian (USA)
Men’s best coach – Dejan Savic (SRB)
Best coaches in 2015:
Women’s best coach – Adam Krikorian (USA)
Men’s best coach – Dejan Savic (SRB)
