Coach of the Year

GIRLS
Mike Cashman (St Ignatius)
Cashman seems like the obvious choice for Coach of the Year honors after the Wolfpack won their first-ever state title in 2013. However, after losing second-leading scorer Stephanie Fernandez and the veteran leadership of goaltender Kate Murphy, St Ignatius started the season behind Fenwick and Mother McAuley, lost to both teams during the conference season and lost to the Mighty Macs in the Catholic League finals. Mixing freshmen Diana Fernandez into the field and starting freshman Jenny Stelnicki in goal at the start of the season paid big dividends in the postseason, as both integrated well in the starting lineup as the Wolfpack beat Naperville Central and Mother McAuley in the first two rounds at state before beating Lincoln-Way Central 12-9 in the championship game.

Coach of the Year Runners-Up

Drew Schneider (Mundelein)

The Mustangs finished the 2012 season ranked #19 with a 15-15 record. They wasted no time getting back into the upper echelon of Illinois water polo, winning the NSC and placing in the top four of the Fenwick Tournament. They continued their run with a 6-5 comeback victory over rival Stevenson in the sectional finals and ended up earning a fourth-place trophy at this year's state tournament.

Nick Engel (STC North)

The North Stars lost two key seniors from last year's 15-9 effort yet continued to excel in 2013, improving from #44 to #16 this season after posting their first 20-win season in team history. They nearly upset Naperville Central in the sectional semifinals, as they led 6-4 before the eventual state-qualifiers earned a comeback win.