Dennis Fosdick, 63; U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame Player and Coach

Dennis Fosdick, 63, a member of the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame who coached Occidental College’s women’s team to a national championship in 2000, died Saturday of cancer at UCLA Medical Center.

During Fosdick’s 11 years at Occidental, the women’s team made eight consecutive appearances in the Division III national championships, winning the school’s first title in 2000, when Fosdick was named coach of the year.

The San Diego native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at San Jose State, where he played water polo. Fosdick worked at every level of the sport during his 40 years as a player and coach in California and Texas, where the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Assn. named its most valuable player trophy for Fosdick. He was elected to the sport’s hall of fame last year.

Fosdick had a 189-32-1 record as coach of the Texas A&M; men’s team, which reached the national championship in 1975 and 1977. He also started the university’s women’s program in the mid-’70s.

Fosdick returned to California in 1980 to work with the men’s national program.

He was the U.S. team leader for the 1981 World Junior Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1988 Olympics.