WASHINGTON, D.C. - Barry King, who turned the women’s program at Indiana University into a national power through the course of a 19-year stint, has been named head coach for men’s and women’s water polo at George Washington University. At IU, King brought the Hoosiers from a club squad to a powerhouse that made six national championship appearances and achieved 20 or more wins in 17 of 19 seasons. His career coaching record stands at 426-225-2 (.654).
“Barry has proven himself to be one of the elite coaches in college water polo,” said George Washignton Director of Athletics Patrick Nero. “He took Indiana from a club program to one that competed regularly for conference championships and he will be a great fit to lead GW Water Polo to new heights. His experience coaching in our conference and leading IU to six national championship appearances will serve our student-athletes well.”
In his final three seasons at IU, King led the Hoosiers to a 70-26 record with three consecutive appearances in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) championship game, including a title in 2014.
King’s squads captured five conference championships (1998, 2000, 2003, 2011, 2014) and finished in the top 20 of the national rankings in each of his final seven seasons. Twice the Hoosiers ranked among the top 10 in the country, finishing eighth in the polls in 2014 and ninth in 2011.
"I want to thank Patrick Nero and Chris Hennelly for the opportunity to guide the water polo teams at such a prestigious institution as George Washington,” said King. “I am very excited to explore the competitive possibilities with both the men and women. On a daily basis, we will maximize our experience by the fullness of our effort. We will compete at the highest level possible. The Buff and Blue will be very proud of our teams."
Among IU’s six appearances in the national championships, King led the Hoosiers to a Final Four appearance in 2003 and a seventh-place finish in 2014. He was named CWPA Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading IU to its first Western Conference Championship in program history. King’s student-athletes have been no strangers to success either, as Hoosier water polo players tallied 15 All-America, 58 All-CWPA, 14 All-Big Ten (1998-2000), 106 ACWPC All-Academic, 107 Academic All-CWPA and 153 Academic All-Big Ten honors under his tutelage.
In 2012, the Hoosiers won a school-record 28 games and finished the year ranked No. 14 in the nation. The year prior, King surpassed 300 career wins as IU qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship.
IU first became a varsity program in 1998, when the Hoosiers won 26 games and a Midwest Regional Championship to earn a trip to the National Championship. Appearances at nationals followed in 1999 and 2000 before he guided IU from the Big Ten to the CWPA in 2001, where the same success followed. The Hoosiers narrowly missed the NCAA Championship in 2002, 2004 and 2005, while reaching the Final Four in 2003.
The Madera, Calif., native earned his Bachelor of Arts in athletic counseling (1988) and Master of Arts in exercise physiology (1996) from Fresno State University.
Before going to Indiana to work on a doctorate in exercise physiology, King coached men’s and women’s water polo at Madera High School (1987-88), freshman boys basketball at Clovis High School (1986-88) and varsity swimming at San Joaquin Memorial High School.
King and his wife, Mindy, have two sons, Creighton and Aidan.
