Pirates name Dan Matulis as new Water Polo coach

Following the latest Coast Community College District Board of Trustees meeting, Orange Coast College is pleased to announce the hiring of Dan Matulis as the school's new men's and women's water polo coach, according to Athletic Director Jason Kehler. The hiring comes following a nationwide search that began in December of 2019 when OCC began accepting applications for a full-time Kinesiology instructor and head water polo coach.

"Dan brings so much to the campus beyond his playing and coaching experience that it makes this is a very exciting time for Coast water polo and the Kinesiology & Athletics Division," Kehler said. "We have so much confidence that Dan will continue to build on the traditions of both our men's and women's water polo programs as not only strong contenders in the pool, but in the classroom and community as well."

Matulis comes to OCC after very successful stints as an assistant coach, both at Golden West College (2016-20) and at his alma mater, Long Beach State (2019-20).

"I'm so excited to be a part of this college," Matulis said. "We are all excited about the new pool, but all in all, our campus is really big with so many different classes and programs to choose from so I'm excited to be able to share with student-athletes everything that OCC has to offer.

"As far as the team goes, it's all about starting a foundation, doing things the right way and having the right balance of student-athlete success. I want to help each player become the best possible player they can be. I've been able to play and coach with some of the best head coaches in the world so I'm not going to have a cookie-cutter type of coaching approach. I think once we have that foundation of learning the technical skills of the sport, we will be a highly competitive program."

Prior to his coaching career, Matulis was a standout player at LBSU for four years after coming to Long Beach from Milford (OH) High School.

"I was growing very fast as a young kid and I was having a hard time with it," Matulis said. "As a freshman, I was already 6-foot-7 and fortunately for me, my swim coach in high school also doubled as the water polo coach, so he had me try water polo and for me it was just so natural. I was a center when I played basketball and basically, I was the center of the water polo team. We won the state championship as a freshman, I was training with USA Water Polo as a sophomore and in national training as a junior so I was excelling quickly.

"Water polo isn't that big in Ohio so I wanted to come out to California. I applied to a bunch of universities and decided on Long Beach State."

Playing under legendary coach Gavin Arroyo, Matulis was a two-time All-American for the 49ers, scoring 148 career goals (13^th-best all time in school history), including 69 goals as a junior before suffering the first of two major shoulder injuries.

"I've always been fascinated with kinesiology and psychology and after my first shoulder surgery, I redshirted my fourth year and began to think of life after my playing career finishes," Matulis said. "I was an established player as a 6-11, left-handed scorer and it was during my rehab process where I tried to find a new way to gain an advantage on my opponent. I could throw the ball with a lot of speed, but I wanted to be better than my opponent, so I wanted to learn more and more about the mental side.

"I learned that water polo and athletics as a whole can really help you become successful in life. It would be amazing to play sports forever, but very few people get to have that opportunity."

After spending time with the US National Team, a second shoulder injury essentially ended Matulis' water polo career, so he began his teaching and coaching careers and life outside of the water.

As an assistant coach at Golden West, he helped the Rustler men's water polo program go 88-1 with three consecutive state championships from 2016-18. In addition to his duties with the men's and women's programs at GWC, Matulis also helped create student-athlete success programs, similar to OCC's PRESS Program. In addition to his duties with the Rustlers, Matulis was also putting in coaching and teaching duties at Long Beach State as well as Vanguard University, further accumulating knowledge on both sides of the sport.

"I can't say enough about Dan as a teacher, mentor, coach and most importantly, his character," Arroyo said of Matulis. "He has an effective way of reaching people and making them perform above their potential. He has strong knowledge of the game and can teach it methodically and patiently.

"I'm truly sorry to lose him at Long Beach State, but I knew it wouldn't be long until an institution realized what he has to offer their programs. Everyone here wishes him the best on his new endeavor."

With the head coaching position open at OCC, Matulis knew it was an opportunity he couldn't miss.

"I was teaching academic courses at GWC, Long Beach State and also at Vanguard University, so I understood the hiring process here at OCC," Matulis said. "There were lots of questions and it was a thorough process, but I thought I did my best. I remember it was a Friday night and my wife was extremely pregnant so I went out to get us a pizza when a call came to my phone. I didn't recognize the number so I didn't answer … it was (Dean of Kinesiology and Athletics, Dr. Michael Sutliff) calling me and offering me the position. My wife and I were both ecstatic when we got the news. It's a dream position to be at OCC and I can't wait for the opportunity." 

So, what type of coach can future Pirate water polo players expect with Matulis at the helm? "I'm committed to my student-athletes … not just wins and losses … but with being a success in the classroom as well," Matulis said. "Athletes are committing to our program, but it's not just a one-way street. I'm committing to them as well. I want my athletes to leave OCC being the absolute best you can possibly be. I want to develop them in the pool and enhance their academic goals. I've been so lucky to have played at the highest level of the sport and to have been coached by the best the sport has to offer. To have that knowledge base, I'd like to share this knowledge with my future athletes."

It is an entirely new chapter for OCC Water Polo. In addition to Matulis joining the Pirates, he will have the opportunity to practice and compete in the school's brand-new Aquatics Pavilion, giving Coast another state-of-the-art athletics facility on its campus.

"What (OCC swimming coach Anthony Iacopetti) has done with the swim team has been incredible and with Southern California being a water polo hot bed in the country, OCC is such a desirable location, both as an athlete and as a coach," Matulis said. "Orange Coast College is my home now and it's exactly where I want to be."

With the sports world and the entire world on pause with the COVID pandemic, Matulis knows that his first year as head coach of the Pirates will have some unique challenges, but sees opportunity in a time where opportunity is limited. "I think it's important to look at what we CAN do, compared to what we CAN'T do," Matulis said. "Now is a great opportunity to teach the players what the sport looks like from outside the pool, look at film and really strengthen our athletes' mental side of the sport. If we can teach our players how to have complete control of their emotions, it will really pay dividends when we do play again. Learning to be self-aware will give ourselves an advantage and some momentum heading into the upcoming season."

Dan and his wife Danica had more life-altering news as the couple welcomed their first child, Paxton, into the world on Thursday, May 14. "Yes, it's been a very exciting month for me and my family, that's for sure," Matulis said.

(Tony Altobelli, Orange Coast SID)