One of the greatest male water polo athletes to emerge from
tradition-rich Orange County, Chris Oeding has defined excellence for
nearly 40 years as both a player and a coach at the highest levels. The
1988 CIF Player of the Year from Corona del Mar High School in
Southern California was also a three-time All-American who guided the
Sea Kings to two CIF Championships. From there, it was off to Northern
California where he added a new chapter to the University of
California, Berkeley’s storied history by helping the Golden Bears win
three consecutive NCAA Championships and sharing Player of the Year
honors in 1992.
Around the same time, Team USA selected him for the 1989 and 1991
junior national teams, the latter as a captain. Despite a shoulder injury
that could have ended his career in 1993, Oeding played his first major
tournament for the senior national team at the 1994 World
Championships in Rome, Italy. That launched a seven-year run on the US
men’s national team where Oeding competed in two Olympic Games
(1996 and 2000) and was captain of the 1997 team that won World
Cup gold in Athens, Greece.
As his playing career neared its finish, Oeding began coaching: first at
Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, then 20 miles northwest at Long
Beach City College where he has been a fixture since 2000, guiding its
water polo programs to six state championships. In 2013, he joined the
staff of the US women’s national team as an assistant coach - a tenure
that has spanned five World Championships and two Olympics so far.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be his third.