Russ Yarworth
	Position: Head Coach

Recognized as one of the nation’s top all-around aquatics instructors, Russ Yarworth is entering his 15th season as head coach of the UMass men’s water polo team and 23rd year in charge of the school’s aquatics program. Yarworth began coaching the men’s varsity swimming and diving team in 1979 and added the responsibilities of coaching the Minuteman water polo squad in 1987. Through 14 years as a varsity sport, the UMass water polo team has tallied a 307-114 (.729) overall mark while emerging as a force on the national scene. UMass has won the Eastern Championship six of the past eight years, with the last coming in 1999 with a 10-7 win over St. Francis. Yarworth has captured the Eastern Coach of the Year award four times in his career at UMass (1993, ‘95, ‘98, ‘99). Last season’s Minutemen finished the year with a 25-12 record marking the school’s ninth consecutive 20-win season. Yarworth picked up his 300th career victory in a 10-9 victory over Fordham on Oct. 21. Under Yarworth’s direction, the 1995 Minutemen became the first Eastern team to reach the semifinals of the NCAA Championship, compiling a 28-7 record and a fourth-place national finish. In 1993, Yarworth also led his poloers in making NCAA Water Polo Championship history by becoming the first Eastern team to defeat a West Coast team in NCAA Tournament play, when UMass posted a 15-13 victory over UC-San Diego But his success with UMass aquatics is not limited to the water polo side. In his previous 22 years as head coach of the men’s swimming and diving program, the Minutemen have compiled an impressive 193-55 (.778) dual-meet record and captured eight consecutive New England Championships from 1987 to 1994. Last year, UMass posted a 10-4 dual-meet record and won its fourth Atlantic 10 Conference team title in school history. Yarworth received A-10 Coach of the Year accolades in 1995-96 after leading his squad to an 8-0 record and the first Atlantic 10 crown in school history. Yarworth combines practical experience with his technical knowledge to provide a well-rounded aquatics program. He has developed a training program that has proven both challenging and enjoyable for his poloers and swimmers. Yarworth, who expects his athletes to be involved with their training on a mental as well as physical level, believes individual team members can develop their talent through team spirit, unity and dedication. In addition to his success on the collegiate level, Yarworth brings national-level experience to the Minuteman programs. He served as an assistant coach of the silver medal East water polo team at the 1990 U.S. Olympic Festival and was the assistant coach for the gold medal U.S. water polo team at the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y. A 1978 graduate of UMass, with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, Yarworth went on to earn his master’s degree in exercise science from UMass in 1984. He was a four-year member of both the Minuteman swimming and water polo teams, captaining both during his senior year. The UMass swim team MVP in 1977 and 1978, Yarworth also had much success in water polo, twice earning All-New England honors. He was a starter on the East water polo team at the 1982 U.S. Olympic Festival. In addition to his duties as men’s water polo and men’s swimming and diving coach, Yarworth also serves as the University’s Aquatics Department Director. He oversees the Joseph R. Rogers, Jr., Pool maintenance and equipment, hires lifeguards and acts as a liason for intramural scheduling. Yarworth and his wife, Susan, reside in Belchertown. He enjoys basketball, swimming and camping in his spare time.