SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Bronco head coach Keith Wilbur is pleased to announce he has hired an assistant water polo coach, Bronco alum Claire Linney '09 for the upcoming year.
"We are thrilled to have Claire Linney, a Bronco alum, come back and join the water polo coaching staff at Santa Clara," said Wilbur. "Claire graduated from Santa Clara in 2009, and she was a standout player during her four years here. Right after she graduated, she got right into coaching as the women's water polo assistant coach at Cal State Monterey Bay. She also has four years experience as the head coach for the boy's high school team at Salinas. She knows the game very well, she has a great work ethic, is very organized and she has a very good rapport with her players. For me, it is very rewarding to see a former player stay involved in the sport and embrace coaching. I am very excited to work with her again, now as a coach, and I know she will add a lot to both our men's and women's water polo programs."
Linney has pervious coaching experience being an assistant coach at former WWPA rival Cal State Monterey Bay for four years. In her time with the Otters, Linney helped the team to their best-ever finish in the WWPA. The Otters finished 18-15 overall, including a semifinal appearance in the WWPA tournament in 2012.
"I am excited to for the opportunity to return to Santa Clara and work with Coach Wilbur," said Linney. "I enjoyed my experience as a Bronco student-athlete and I am excited to work with the teams. Santa Clara does a great job educating the whole person and for me water polo was a huge part of that. I look forward to helping the Bronco student-athletes grow in their time here, as well as continue to improve on the success the water polo programs have already achieved. I am also very thankful for my time at Monterey Bay with Coach Figueroa. My experiences there have prepared me well for the opportunity to return to Santa Clara water polo."
In her Bronco athletic career, Linney was team MVP and captain her senior year. In the 2009 season the Broncos made it to the WWPA Championship game, which was the strongest finish for the women's program at conference championships.
Linney still holds two career records for the Broncos. Linney is seventh overall in career steals with 80 and third in career earned ejections with 113. In addition, Linney earned WWPA All-Conference honors her senior season.
The Aptos, Calif. native led her high school team to the Central Coast Section playoffs in 2003. Linney was voted MVP by her team in 2003 and 2004, was an All-League selection those same years and was swim team MVP in 2005.
Linney earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Santa Clara.
