Courtesy: Michigan Athletics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — University of Michigan’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced Wednesday (June 15) that water polo head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi will not return next season.
Leonardi recently completed his eighth season at the program’s helm, compiling a 190-70 (.731) record, including a 54-2 (.964) record in CWPA competition.
Michigan finished the 2021-22 season with a 26-9 overall record and a 12-0 mark in the conference en route to its fifth championship and sixth tournament title.
A national search will begin immediately.
Did he want out, or did school want him out? Didn’t Michigan water polo have a great year?
Michigan water polo has had a great decade under Coach Leonardi. Multiple consecutive Conference Championships, always in the discussion of who is the best team outside of California. We Wolverines are all asking the same questions. My initial thesis is that he wanted to move on, because dumping him now would be profoundly stupid.
You don’t just get rid of your winningest coach ever in an 8:00:00pm press release on a Wednesday night in just a few sentences. Something bad must’ve happened.