Water Polo Coaching Staff
Head Coach Joe Tristan
Joe Tristan enters his seventh season as the head men’s and women’s water polo coach at Behrend. Tristan is committed to constantly improving the program through both academics and athletics.
In the fall of 2008, Tristan lead the men’s program to its second third place finish at the Division III Eastern Championships after defeating Connecticut College. The 2007 men’s team to the third most wins in school history. The blue and white were ranked eleventh in the nation in goals per game. Through Tristan’s leadership the Behrend Lions tallied 10.5 goals per game.
Tristan led his 2004 team into Behrend history with a fourth place finish at the Division III Eastern Championships and guided two players to the All-Tournament team. He also led Anthony Spoto to the Division III All-America Team and was able to take Spoto to the USA Senior Men’s National ‘A’ Team Tryouts in Southern California. Last season the men finished fourteenth in the academic national poll, the highest the team has reached since the program began.
Coach Tristan is a member of USA Water Polo where he is currently a Level 3 coach. He is also a member of the American Water Polo Coaches Association. He was a coach at the 2004 USA National Goalie Training Camp and was a candidate for the 2005 World University Games Team as an assistant coach for Team USA.
Tristan joined the Behrend Lions after leading the women’s club water polo program at Eastern Michigan University. He also was an assistant coach for the Great Lakes Water Polo Club in Ann Arbor, MI. At EMU he coached a pair of all-conference players and directed the team to earn all-academic honors. From 1997-2002, Tristan was the head boy’s junior varsity coach for Huron High School.
A native of Southern California, Tristan played water polo and swam for Earl Warren High School. He also played water polo for Tulare Water Polo Club and for Eastern Michigan in 1995-96. In 2000, Tristan competed and finished twenty-second in the United States Olympic swimming trials in the 200 meter freestyle. From 1998-2000 Tristan was ranked in the FINA Top 20 and the top 100 in the World in the 200 meter and 100 meter freestyle events. He currently is EMU’s record holder in the 800 freestyle relay. Tristan was a vital part of a pair of EMU Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championship teams.
While serving as a coach at Behrend Tristan will also serve as the assistant men's and women's swimming coach and instruct in the health and physical education department.
To e-mail Coach Joe Tristan: jpt12@psu.edu
Assistant Coach Anthony Spoto
Anthony Spoto begins his second season of coaching water polo at Penn State Behrend after completing a stellar four-year career for the blue and white.
In 2007, Spoto was one of only 22 Division III water polo athletes named as All-American. This was Spoto's second selection as he was also a CWPA Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman in 2004.
During his career Spoto poured in a school record 247 goals. He is also the leader for single season goals with 76 as a senior, which broke his previous record of 75 during his freshman year.
In addition, Spoto earned CWPA All-Academic Team honors for his outstanding academic performance. He earned his undergraduate degree from Behrend, and is currently working on his MBA.