Maureen Cole, the longest-tenured and winningest coach to lead the University of Hawaii water polo program, announced Tuesday that she will step down following the upcoming 2024 season.
Cole, a former three-time national champion as a player at UCLA, will see through her 13th campaign as head coach in Manoa in January to early May. After that, she will “pursue new challenges,” she said in a UH release.
Under Cole, a four-time Big West Coach of the Year, UH has a record of 203-92 with five BWC regular-season championships, four league tournament titles and four NCAA tournament appearances.
The Punahou School alumna came aboard in 2007 as an assistant under Michel Roy and inherited the program in 2012. It’s become one accustomed to a level of success; UH typically ranks fifth or sixth in the country on a tier right behind the historically dominant powers Stanford, UCLA, USC and Cal.
It has been Cole's mission throughout her UH tenure to get the Rainbow Wahine to that level as a program, and she successfully recruited internationally to bring in national team-caliber players to help get her team there. While there have been knocks at the door, the incumbents of collegiate water polo have consistently turned away a challenger like UH.
"For the past 17-plus years I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Rainbow Wahine water polo program, however, I have come to the point where it is time for me to step away and pursue new challenges," Cole said in UH’s release. "I will always love Wahine water polo and the University of Hawai'i athletics department and will do anything I can to help them succeed in the future. In anticipation of my resignation, I have done everything possible to ensure a smooth transition. The program is in a great place and I am excited for what the future holds."
UH finished second to UC Irvine in the 2023 Big West regular season and tournament. The Rainbow Wahine earned a signature win over Cal in nonconference play but did not receive an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament and finished 21-6.
In her tenure, the Rainbow Wahine have produced 25 ACWP All-Americans 54 All-BWC players.
"Thank you to all of the players over the years who put their trust in me and committed to making Wahine water polo the best that it could be," Cole said. "My goal was to not only help you learn to be successful water polo players, but also to help you become strong and confident women who can tackle any challenge in life, no matter how hard it might seem. I have learned so much from you. I look forward to supporting you in any way I can in the future and watching you pursue your passions.”
She also thanked her husband Doug, children VanDandt and Clover, her parents and her extended family.
“Someone once told me I could not be a mother and a successful Division I water polo coach and with the love and support from all of you we proved that statement wrong,” she said.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.