Posted on: Friday, April 13, 2001

BYUH selects coach for men's water polo

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Brigham Young-Hawai'i is placing its fledgling water polo program in the hands of one of the sport's most successful local figures.

Aukai Ferguson, who coached the Kahuku High School team from 1994-'99, was named head coach of the university's newest men's sport yesterday.

Ferguson is the coach of the Tualatin Hills Water Polo Club in Oregon, one of the top clubs in the nation. He is also the U.S. development coach for the Pacific Northwest region.

Ferguson graduated from Kahuku in 1986 and played water polo at Loyola Marymount and Chaminade. He was an assistant at Chaminade from 1992 to 1994 before founding Kahuku's water polo program.

"His being from Hawai'i was really a plus," said BYUH athletic director Randy Day. "He's a very important figure in the local water polo community and he came with excellent recommendations."

Ferguson agreed to a one-year renewable contract, a standard agreement for BYUH coaches, on Wednesday. Under school policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Ferguson's immediate duties will be recruiting a team from scratch and trying to schedule a complete season of matches for the fall.

Day said Ferguson will likely look at local athletes as well as experienced players from the Mainland, New Zealand, Japan and the Pacific Rim.

BYUH has already applied for membership in the Western Water Polo Conference, which includes Chaminade and several schools in the Los Angeles and San Diego area.

Day said planned renovations to the on-campus pool will likely be postponed until after the season.