James Lathrop, longtime Miramonte boys’ water polo coach and newly hired men’s coach at Saint Mary’s College, steps into his next chapter as the school expands its Division I aquatic programs.
James Lathrop, the long-time boys’ water polo coach and athletic director at Miramonte, has been hired as the men’s water polo coach at Saint Mary’s College.
The move is part of major athletic step for Saint Mary’s, which will expand its Division 1 footprint by adding four aquatic sports: Men’s and women’s water polo and men’s and women’s swimming.
Lathrop played water polo at Miramonte for the legendary Bill Brown and later won 10 North Coast Section titles when he took over on the pool deck. He was named the California coach of the year in 2008 when the Matadors were ranked No. 1 in the nation, and also coached the USA Junior National Team in 2013.
His other local ties include a long stint as director for the Lamorinda Water Polo Club and a water polo career at Cal.
Most recently, Lathrop was an assistant at Stanford, helping the Cardinal to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title game in 2022. Saint Mary’s, though, will compete in the West Coast Conference, against Pacific, San Jose State, California Baptist, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara and Air Force.
The Saint Mary’s team will use the Soda Center at Campolindo for training and competition, and of course Lathrop will try to tap into the wealth of water polo talent in Lamorinda.
