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Orange Lutheran girls water polo coach Brenda Villa, an Olympic gold medalist who guided the Lancers to a pair of CIF-SS Open Division championships and two SoCal regional titles, has accepted a coaching position at Stanford, the Trinity League school announced Wednesday.
Cardinal coach John Tanner announced that Villa, 45, will become associate head coach at Stanford, her alma mater.
“While this decision was not easy, I’m excited for the road ahead and confident that the (Orange Lutheran) program is positioned for continued success,” Villa said in a statement released by Orange Lutheran. “When I accepted the opportunity to join the OLu community, I couldn’t have imagined just how meaningful the journey would become.
“As I now step away, I do so with deep gratitude for the experiences, relationships, and growth these past three years have brought me.”
“I am incredibly thankful for the unwavering support from the administration, faculty, families, andespecially the water polo community,” Villa added. “The culture we’ve built together — one rooted in hard work,respect, and community — has made this a truly special place to be a coach and mentor.”
Orange Lutheran hired the four-time Olympian from Commerce as girls water polo coach and aquatics director in April of 2022 and immediately found success.
In her first season, Villa guided the Lancers to the Open Division crown. The squad rallied for a dramatic 11-8 victory against No. 1 Foothill that spotlighted Villa’s coaching acumen and future U.S. standouts Lauren Steele and Allison Cohen.
Villa was selected The Register’s Orange County coach of the year for 2022-23.
In 2024, Orange Lutheran became the first O.C. team to finish undefeated since Laguna Beach in 2016-17 as it claimed Open and regional championships. The Lancers finished 31-0 despite Steele enrolling early at UCLA.
Last winter in Villa’s third season, Orange Lutheran lost in overtime to Newport Harbor in the Open Division semifinals but bounced back to win the regional.
The Lancers also claimed a third straight Trinity League title last season.
Villa finished with a record of 84-7 at Orange Lutheran.
She was hired at Orange Lutheran by former athletic director Vince Brown, who had previously worked at aquatics powerhouse Foothill.
A four-time Olympic medalist and USA Water Polo Hall of Fame member, Villa helped Team USA strike gold at the 2012 Games in London.
Villa’s career included serving as a U.S. captain and earning FINA’s player of the decade for 2000-2010.
She grew up in Commerce and played on the boys team at Bell Gardens High before the school had girls water polo.
In 2002, Villa was selected national player of the year after leading Stanford to its first NCAA title.
But despite all her accomplishments, Villa navigated high school pool decks with humbleness. She drove team buses to tournaments, snapped selfies with her players and helped set up for games.
“We are beyond grateful for Coach Villa, and words cannot fully capture the depth of ourappreciation,” Orange Lutheran athletic director Karen Kekipi said in a statement. “She has truly embodied what it means to be a leader, both in our aquatics program and in our broader Orange Lutheran community.”
“Over the past three years, it has been a privilege to witness her unmatched expertise, her dedication to developing our student-athletes, and her unwavering commitment to representing Christ in all she does.”
Earlier this offseason, Cohen committed to Stanford. The senior also teamed with Steele to help the U.S. women’s water polo team claim the under-20 title at the recent World Championships.