Bob Gaughran starred for the Tigers in water polo in the 1950s, breaking numerous records that included including single-game goals (18), total goals for the season (132) and totaled 340 goals for his career, which remains a school record to this date.
Bob was a NorCal Water Polo All-Star three times, Most Valuable Swimmer three times and twice a team captain.Â
After college, Bob continued to play water polo at the San Francisco Olympic Club, winning national championships in 1957 and 1959. His teams were runners-up in 1955, ’58, ’60, ’61 and ’62, and he was named an All-American multiple times and was inducted into the Olympic Club Hall of Fame and the United States Water polo Hall of Fame.
Bob was also hired to teach physical education and coach swimming and water polo at Menlo Atherton High School (1958-65), winning a total of 18 league championships in basketball, swimming, and water polo. He coached 24 swimming All-Americans and eight water polo All-Americans. Two of his swimmers would go on to medal in the Olympics.
Gaughran went on to serve as Chairman of USA Olympic Water Polo, Chairman of the National and International AAU Water Polo Committee, and Director of the Hawaiian Aquatic Forum for Swimming/Water Polo in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also served 12 years on the Pacific Alumni Association Board of Directors (1987-98).
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