Stanford Water Polo Legend Brenda Villa Returns as Associate Head Coach
Brenda Villa, one of the most accomplished women’s water polo players in history, is returning to her alma mater Stanford as associate head coach.
Stanford coach John Tanner made the announcement on Wednesday. He coached Villa, who in 2002 led the Cardinal to the first of its 10 national titles under Tanner.
Villa is one of only two four-time Olympic medalists in the history of the sport, winning gold in London in 2012 to cap her career. She had won silver medals at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics plus bronze in 2004, in addition to three Pan Am Games golds and three World Championships golds. Villa was a three-time All-American at Stanford and won the Peter J. Cutino Award as the national player of the year in 2002. She graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
She is a member of the both the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.
“Brenda is an icon in the water polo world, as one of our sport’s greatest ever athletes, as a global ambassador for the sport, and as an extraordinary coach who engenders belief, self-reliance and resilience in her athletes and teams,” Tanner said in a press release. “Brenda’s path to Stanford was exceptional, a journey made possible by the City of Commerce, her family, teachers, coaches and her own relentless drive. Brenda’s journey since graduating has been equally remarkable.”
Villa retired from playing in 2012. She was the head coach at Orange Lutheran High School since 2022, leading the Lancers to CIF Regional State titles in 2024 and 2025, the former in an undefeated season. She was twice named the CIF Open Division Coach of the Year.
Villa was previously an assistant coach at Cerritos College from 2005-09 and the head coach at Palo Alto’s Castilleja School for 10 season starting in 2010. She also has coached Team USA’s Under-16 team.
“Returning to Stanford is incredibly special to me,” Villa said. “Being part of the first NCAA championship team here wasn’t just about winning — it was about laying the foundation for what this program could become. As one of the early athletes to help shape that era, I feel honored to now give back as a coach and help lead the next generation of student-athletes who will carry that legacy forward.”
Villa has remained active in all aspects of the sport. The East Los Angeles native co-founded Project 2020, a non-profit focused on providing aquatic opportunities for underserved and historically excluded communities. She also leads the eponymous Brenda Villa Foundation, which gives micro-grants to communicates to facilitate aquatics access. She’s also served on USA Water Polo’s Board of Directors, the Advisory Committee of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Executive Committee of the Pan American Aquatics Union Americana De Natacion (UANA).
