Olympian Alex Obert Returns to Pacific as General Manager
American Olympian Alex Obert will return to his alma mater Pacific as the men’s water polo team’s general manager.
Pacific is the first program to establish a general manager for their water polo team. The new position is becoming a popular one across the new NCAA landscape to recruit and manage athletes’ name, image and likeness opportunities, starting with revenue sports like football and filtering down to other college programs. (Andrew Luck at Stanford and Ron Rivera at California are two examples from the gridiron.)
In Obert, Pacific is bringing back one of its most decorated alumni, the 33-year-old competing for the U.S. at the 2024, 2021 and 2016 Olympics. He won a bronze medal with the U.S. at the Paris Olympics. Obert is also a two-time Pan Am Games gold medalist (2015, 2019) and a four-time World Championships participant.
“I’m thrilled to give back to the program that shaped so much of my life and to be back working alongside Coach (James) Graham,” Obert said in a press release. “He’s always been a visionary in our sport, and creating a role like this is yet another example of him pushing boundaries of what’s possible in water polo.”
Obert was a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award as national player of the year in 2015, his senior season at Pacific. He was a first-team All-American that season with 54 goals and 10 assists. He was an All-American in 2013 in leading the Tigers to the NCAA final, a season in which it won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament title.
“Having Alex return to Pacific as the first-ever General Manager in college water polo is a monumental step forward for the sport. I had the privilege of coaching Alex from 2011 through 2015, and few people embody the blend of elite athleticism, professionalism and intellect the way he does,” head coach James Graham said. “Alex brings a global perspective and a champion’s mindset, and his analytical background is a perfect match for our data-driven program. His return is not only a homecoming – it’s a game-changer.”
Obert has experience playing professionally in Europe, with Croatian club Jug Dubrovnik and Greek side Hydraikos.