Zac Koerner
Zac Koerner

Bio

Zac Koerner was hired in August of 2022 as the Head Men's Water Polo Coach at American River College.  In his second year at American River College in 2023, Coach Koerner led the Beavers to the Big 8 Conference Championship, 3rd Place at Norcals, and a Quarterfinal appearance at the State Championship tournament. He brings an impressive resume of coaching success at the NCAA, High School, Club and National team levels the program. 

 

At the high school level, Coach Koerner won four CIF SJS section championships.  Koerner amassed 225 wins along with twelve league championships during that time.  Coach Koerner was recognized by USA Water Polo as the Bill Barnett Distinguished High School Coach of the year in 2019 for the Central California Zone.

 

Additionally, Coach Koerner spent four years at the University of the Pacific from 2011-2015 where he helped develop the Tigers into one of the top NCAA programs in the country.  In 2013 the Pacific Men’s team earned a #1 National ranking on their way to a National Championship appearance and MPSF regular season championship title. As Assistant Coach for the Tiger Men's and Women’s teams, Koerner helped guide the program to 93 victories.  Throughout his four seasons at Pacific, the Tigers finished with a top 7 National ranking or higher each year.

 

Working with USA Water Polo from 2006-2014, Coach Koerner served various roles including Regional Technical Director for the Olympic Development Program and coach of the Central Zone Youth Team.  Additionally, Koerner was honored to serve as Head Coach and as an Assistant Coach for the United States Youth and Junior National teams competing in Sicily, Montreal, Buenos Aires, and Serbia from 2010 – 2014. Coach Koerner’s teams won the silver medal at the UANA Junior Pan Am Championships in 2012 and 2013.

 

In the Sacramento area, Coach Koerner helped establish the boy’s water polo program at American River Water Polo Club which has become one of the premier developmental water polo programs in the country.  Koerner’s teams have won the Central CA Zone Junior Olympic Qualification tournament six times since 2015 including four of the last five years.  In the summer of 2024, his ARWPC 18 and Under boys finished 9th place at the National Junior Olympics. Koerner received the Ted Newland Distinguished Coaching award in 2017 for his work with the club program.

 

Over his career Coach Koerner has helped hundreds of high school and club athletes reach the NCAA level and five former athletes have had the opportunity to represent their countries in the past three Olympic games.  When he accepted the American River College position in the fall of 2022, Koerner had 14 athletes on college rosters at the four year level with programs including: UC Davis, University of the Pacific, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount University, United States Air Force Academy, Santa Clara, Redlands University, and more.

 

A native of Sacramento, California, Coach Koerner earned his Bachelors degree from UC Irvine in 2000 along with his teaching credential in Physical Education and Masters degree in Education in 2021.  He is the proud father of David and Cora and husband of Angela.  In his free time Coach Koerner enjoys adventures with his family, golfing, and thinking about water polo.