Since the closing of the Smith Swim Center in January, Brown's men's and women's water polo teams have gone through some significant changes. The closure forced the women's team to finish its spring season at other pools, and the men's team has practiced everywhere from Seekonk High School to Wheaton College in preparation for its regular season, which begins Saturday.
To cap it all off Brown introduced new Head Coach Felix Mercado on Aug. 22 to replace Jason Gall. However, Mercado made it clear that he's planning on putting a stop to the sea of changes.
"I'm ripping up my resume," Mercado said. "I think Brown's looking for someone who's dedicated to the program, and they've found someone."
Mercado, who will coach both the women's and men's teams, replaces Gall, who departed to take a head coaching position at California State University, Bakersfield, on July 20. Immediately after being named to the position, Mercado started practice with the men's team.
Mercado comes to Brown from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he oversaw the club program for both men and women. Last year, in his second year as head coach, he was named the College Water Polo Association Division III Coach of the Year for the men's season. When leading the women's team, Mercado compiled a 30-3 record and reached the Club National Championships. Despite his success at his former school, Mercado was ecstatic to get the chance to coach on the Division I level.
"This is my dream job," Mercado said. "The support here has been unbelievable, and the team has been on board with everything I've had to say."
Amid the changes surrounding the University's construction of a temporary pool, Mercado is looking to provide some much-needed stability at the helm of the program. Todd Clapper coached the Bears water polo teams for four-and-a-half years but left in 2004, and Joe Linehan was named head coach in 2004. Linehan never coached a game before giving way to Gall in September of 2004. But Mercado has no plans to leave anytime soon.
"I think Brown was looking for someone who would be committed to the program and not use the job as a stepping stone to bigger programs," Mercado said. "If the University wants dedication, they found the right person."
Mercado's biggest adjustment will be the elevated competition at the Division I level. His only coaching experience at the highest level of collegiate play came this spring when he served as an assistant at Hartwick College, one of the women's team's main rivals, and helped lead the Hawks to a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championships.
But Mercado is no stranger to Division I coaches. He worked with Gall at camps when both had just moved to the Northeast. He said the two were "able to establish a friendship with (each other) as new kids on the block." Mercado seems to relish the opportunity to work at a Division I level, saying that he enjoys having "more to work with as far as talent" since his move to Brown.
This fall, the men's team will have no home matches and will practice at other schools all season as the temporary pool is scheduled to be completed in January, according to Mercado. The team will play numerous games at the Harvard pool in Cambridge, Mass., and will also travel to Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference league games. But the new head coach is not making excuses.
"The guys definitely know what it takes to win," Mercado said. "I expect us to compete for the ECAC title. We're kind of the dark horse in the ECAC because of the pool situation, but we feel good about our chances. It wouldn't shock us if we won the title."
