Barry O’Dea steps down as CdM boys’ water polo coach, Captan takes over

For 12 years, Barry O’Dea spent many days on the pool deck at Corona del Mar High School. As boys’ water polo coach he was part of several memorable victories, including a remarkable run in league competition, taking just one loss in those 12 years.

O’Dea called his time at CdM, among the best water polo programs in the state, as being on top of the mountain. He has decided to climb down the mountain. O’Dea has resigned from the program, the school announced on Wednesday. He said he turned in his letter of resignation on Friday, yet this move had been in the works for some time. His assistant for the past 10 years, Kareem Captan, has been named the new boys’ water polo coach.

O’Dea acknowledged the biggest reason for his resignation is cliché, but nevertheless he was adamant that he is leaving to have more time with his family, including three daughters.

O’Dea, who teaches English Literature at CdM, has been on a leave of absence this year. He did not coach the boys’ swim team this season, as he usually does.

“I’m taking some time and exploring some opportunities,” O’Dea said. “It comes down to family. I had the best time coaching at Corona del Mar for 12 years … It’s hard to walk away. But I know I left it in a really good spot.”

O’Dea is confident that the CdM water polo programs are in good hands, he said, as his former player Justin Papa is the new girls’ water polo coach and Captan takes over the boys’ team.

O’Dea, 44, who lives in Long Beach, did not rule out a return to coaching.

“I have some things in the works,” O’Dea said of coaching. “You might see me pop up pretty soon. We’ll see how it all pans out.”

O’Dea guided the Sea Kings to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship in 2010 and back to the title match in 2011. His teams lost to private schools in the CIF quarterfinals or semifinals each of the past five seasons. O’Dea has said that private and public schools should be in different divisions for the CIF playoffs.

“We did a good job playing in Division 1, a lot of private schools,” he said. “I’m super proud of what I did there. My very first year we had 28 players in the program. Now we average 75 players the past six years. We traveled a ton and we have a lot of kids that went on to play in college. There’s a lot of stuff we were able to do with the great parental support we had. It’s been pretty tremendous.”

O’Dea said he has two daughters who play water polo, Maya, 12, and Katherine, 9, and his youngest, Greta, 2, is learning how to swim.

Captan welcomed a baby girl, his second child, on Wednesday, O’Dea said.

O’Dea said he plans to meet with CdM players soon to again express his love for coaching at CdM and his passion for the game.

“Barry has been an incredible coach and on-campus presence for us,” CdM athletic director Don Grable said in an email. “Our boys’ water polo program has sustained continual success and become a tremendously positive part of our school culture under his leadership. Barry has put his blood, sweat, and tears into building our CdM aquatics family and for this we will forever be grateful. We wish him the best of luck as he pursues new opportunities nearer his family and home community.”

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