LOS ANGELES -- Adam Wright and the UCLA Athletic Department announced today that he will step down as head coach of the UCLA women’s water polo program. Wright will remain the head coach of UCLA men’s water polo.

A national search for the next head coach of UCLA women’s water polo will begin immediately.

Wright has led both the women’s and men’s water polo programs since 2017. He previously stepped away from coaching the women’s water polo team in December 2025 due to health concerns, and the Bruins were led by interim co-head coaches Jason Falitz and Matt Kubeck during the 2026 season.

“This is an incredibly difficult moment because this program has meant so much to my life,” Wright said. “I am so proud of what we’ve built together, and I am grateful for every student-athlete, coach and staff member who has been a part of this journey. This program is bigger than any one person, and its success and championship culture have been built on the people who wear the UCLA cap every day. I have no doubt that this team has everything it takes to continue to compete for championships. While my role is changing, my pride in UCLA women’s water polo and the people who make it special will never change. Thank you to all the student-athletes and everyone involved for allowing me to be a part of this program and for everything we have accomplished together.”

Wright served at the helm of the women’s program for eight seasons, compiling a 172-42 (.804) overall record that included a 36-13 (.735) mark in MPSF play. His crowning achievement came in 2024 when the Bruins finished 26-0 and won the program’s first NCAA championship since 2009, earning Wright conference and national coach-of-the-year honors.

“Adam Wright’s impact on UCLA Athletics is extraordinary, and we are grateful for everything he has done for our university and student-athletes, both in and out of the pool,” UCLA’s Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond said. “His leadership of our women’s team, highlighted by the 2024 NCAA championship, helped elevate the program to an elite level. We thank him for his commitment to our student-athletes and for the lasting legacy he leaves with the program. We fully support Adam as he continues to lead our men’s team, and we are excited to begin the search for a world-class coach who will build on that strong foundation and continue UCLA women’s water polo’s proud tradition of championship success.”

Inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020, Wright has helped his alma mater collect 11 NCAA titles: six as men’s head coach, three as a student-athlete, one as women’s head coach and one as a women’s assistant coach.

The UCLA men’s program enters the upcoming season as the two-time defending national champion. In 18 seasons as the head coach of the men’s team, Wright owns a 397-70 (.850) overall record and is 77-26 (.748) in conference play. He earned his fifth overall MPSF Coach of the Year honor and his fifth ACWPC National Coach of the Year selection in 2025.