Former All-American Tom Popp Added to Navy Water Polo Staff

Tom Popp ('89) was a two-time All-American and Sword winner while at Navy.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy water polo head coach Luis Nicolao announced today the hiring of former USNA water polo standout and veteran coach Tom Popp as the assistant coach of the Navy water polo program.

A member of the USNA Class of 1989, Popp was a standout for the Midshipmen as an athlete, earning All-America and All-East selection honors, graduating as the all-time leader in career assists in Academy history. He returned to Navy water polo program as an assistant coach alongside former teammate Nicolao (’92).

“I am extremely grateful and humbled to be given the opportunity to return to the Naval Academy, coach under Luis, and be a part of this historic water polo program once again,” stated Popp. “I have no doubt that Luis will leverage his tremendous success at Princeton and bring Navy several more championships. Luis inspires his players to be the best versions of themselves, in and out of the water. I am thrilled to be a part of his program and looking forward to the upcoming season.”

“It is exciting to have Tom join the Navy water polo staff,” Nicolao stated. “Tom’s resume speaks for itself. He has had a major impact on my life and to have him back at the Academy helping lead future naval officers is extremely exciting for me and our program. This is a great day for Navy water polo.”

Popp served as an assistant coach for Navy from 2007-09, helping the Midshipmen to a pair of CWPA Eastern titles (2007, ‘08) and a 72-26 record during his three years as a member of the coaching staff.

Most recently, Popp established Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. as a top water polo program in the Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia areas. He coached the varsity team for five seasons (2012, ‘13, ’15, ’16, ‘17) with Gonzaga’s water polo program founder, Joe Viola. In his fourth year at the helm, Popp led Gonzaga to an Eastern Prep Championship in November 2016.

A native of San Jose, Calif., Popp was a two-time high school water polo All-American at Bellarmine College Preparatory under legendary coach Larry Rogers. While playing for Navy under head coach Mike Schofield from 1985-88, Popp helped lead Navy to three Eastern Division Championships (1986, ’87, ‘88) and three NCAA tournament appearances. A two-time MVP of the Eastern Division (1987, ‘88), he also earned All-American Honorable Mention in 1987 and third-team All-American honors in 1988. As a senior, Popp was awarded the Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword for Men in 1989, presented to “that man of the graduating class who is considered by the Association's Athletic Council to have personally excelled in men's athletics during his years of varsity competition.”

During this same period, Popp also played on the U.S. Men's Junior National Team (1985-87), traveling to Havana, Cuba, several European competitions, the Junior Pan-American Games in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and the 19 and Under World Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Following his senior NCAA season, he trained with the U.S. Men's National Team from 1989 through April 1991.

Popp was inducted into the CWPA Hall of Fame in November 2008, becoming the first Navy representative to be inducted into the CWPA Hall of Fame.

After graduating in 1989 with a bachelor of science in Aerospace Engineering, Popp completed naval flight officer training and qualified as an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft mission commander. In January 1995, following deployments aboard the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier, he enacted orders to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and was selected as a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) Cooperative program student. Upon graduating from USNTPS at NAS Patuxent River, Md., in December 1997, Popp was awarded a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, transitioned to the Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer community, and flight tested several new E-2C advanced avionics systems.

After his test squadron duty, he served on the staff of Commander U.S. Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC) at NAS North Island in Coronado, Calif., (February 2000 to April 2002). He returned to NAS Patuxent River in May 2002 as the AEDO Community Manager within Naval Air Systems Command. Subsequently, he assumed the T-45 Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead for the Naval Undergraduate Training Systems program office (PMA-273) in 2004 before returning to his alma mater in May 2007 to teach in the Aerospace Department. In Oct 2009, Popp became the Naval Air Systems Command liaison officer to the US Coast Guard before he retired from the Navy as a Captain in September 2014. Since then, Popp has been supporting the Naval Enterprise Networks program office (PMW 205) as a civilian task lead for CSA Guidance Consulting at the Washington Navy Yard, while also coaching at Gonzaga.

Tom is married to the former Ruth Chasen (Navy '89), and the couple has five daughters – Frances, Naomi, Hannah, Mary, and Ellen. Popp and his family reside in Arnold, Md.