An Alumni of the SJSU Men’s Water Polo Program, Cristian Tanase is in his first year as an assistant coach for the SJSU women’s team.
His past experience comes from head coaching at local Bay Area high schools such as The Harker School, Adrian Wilcox High School, and assisting at Los Gatos High School. While coaching the girl’s team at The Harker School, the team achieved the highest program ranking during the 2022 season with a 2nd place finish in the Central Coast Section. He is also coaching club at San Jose Express Water Polo Club and he is involved with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) assisting the Cadet Team for the Pacific Zone.
Cristian graduated in 2021 with a degree in Kinesiology focusing in exercise science as well as minoring in Nutrition for sport performance. He achieved the Dean’s Scholar Award in 2019-2020 and 2020-21. As a student-athlete, Cristian was a two-time Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Academic All-America award in 2018 and 2019.
Cristian earned his master’s degree in sports psychology at San Jose State in 2022, where he served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. As a strength and conditioning coach he was leading the training protocols for the physical preparation of women’s water polo, men’s water polo, women’s swimming & diving, and track & field athletes.
Cristian is originally from Bucharest, Romania where he grew up playing for Steaua Bucharest and Rapid Bucharest.