STOCKTON, Calif. – Pacific men's water polo legend Alex Obert will return to his alma mater this season as General Manager, announced by head coach
James Graham.
Obert, who graduated in 2016 from Pacific with an engineering degree, becomes the first collegiate General Manager in the nation in the sport of men's water polo. Obert is a three-time Olympian after competing for USA in Paris '24 (bronze medalist), Tokyo '20 and Rio de Janeiro '16.
"Having Alex return to Pacific as the first-ever General Manager in college water polo is a monumental step forward for the sport. I had the privilege of coaching Alex from 2011 through 2015, and few people embody the blend of elite athleticism, professionalism and intellect the way he does," Graham said. "Alex brings a global perspective and a champion's mindset, and his analytical background is a perfect match for our data-driven program. His return is not only a homecoming - it's a game-changer."
As a senior at Pacific in 2015, Obert was a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award, which goes to the best men's water polo player in the country. He was also an All-America First-Team, All-Conference First-Team and All-Academic First-Team selection after tallying 54 goals and 10 assists.
Obert was also an All-American in 2013 and helped the Tigers reach the national finals. It included a win over Stanford in the national semifinals and a victory over UCLA in the conference championship game of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
"I'm thrilled to give back to the program that shaped so much of my life and to be back working alongside Coach Graham. He's always been a visionary in our sport, and creating a role like this is yet another example of him pushing boundaries of what's possible in water polo," Obert said.
Obert won two gold medals at the Pan American Games (2015 and 2019) and a silver in the 2016 World League. He scored 10 goals at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. He competed at the World Championships four times (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019).
In 2020, the center-forward played professionally in Croatia with Jug Dubrovnik, one of the top clubs in the world. It came after a season with Hydraikos in Greece in 2019.
Obert's International Competition Highlights
2024 Olympic Games, Paris, France, 3rd Place
2024 World Aquatics World Championships, Doha, Qatar, 9th Place
2023 Pan American Games, Santiago, Chile, 1st Place
2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo, Japan, 6th Place (took place in 2021 due do COVID-19)
2021 FINA World League Super Final, Athens, Greece, 2nd Place
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru, 1st Place
2019 FINA World Championships, Gwangju, South Korea, 9th Place
2018 FINA World Cup, Berlin, Germany, 6th Place
2018 FINA World League Super Final, Budapest, Hungary, 7th Place
2018 FINA Intercontinental Tournament, Auckland, New Zealand, 1st Place
2017 FINA World Championships, Budapest, Hungary, 13th Place
2017 FINA World League Super Final, Ruza, Russia, 4th Place
2017 FINA Intercontinental Tournament, Gold Coast, Australia, 2nd Place
2016 Olympic Games, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 10th Place
2016 FINA World League Super Final, Huizhou, China, 2nd Place
2016 FINA Intercontinental Tournament, Yokohama, Japan, 1st Place
2015 FINA World Championships, Kazan, Russia, 7th Place
2015 Pan American Games, Toronto, Canada, 1st Place
2015 FINA World League Super Final, Bergamo, Italy, 4th Place
2015 FINA Intercontinental Tournament, Corona Del Mar, Ca, 3rd Place
2014 FINA World Cup, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 4th Place
2014 FINA World League Super Final, Dubai, Uae, 5th Place
2014 FINA Intercontinental Tournament, Shanghai, China, 1st Place
2013 FINA World Cup Qualifiers, Santa Ana, Ca, 1st Place
2013 FINA World Championships, Barcelona, Spain, 9th Place
2013 FINA World League Super Final, Chelyabinsk, Russia, 4th Place
Pacific opens the season Saturday, Aug. 30 in Providence, Rhode Island and the first home game is Friday, Sept. 12 against Cal. Tickets are on sale for the 2025 season and can be
reserved online or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
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For all the latest on Pacific men's water polo, be sure to follow the team on X (
@UOPWaterPoloU), Instagram (
@pacificwaterpolo) and "like" the team's official Facebook page (
Pacific Men's Water Polo).
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