Tom Hyham begins his third season as La Salle's head men's and women's water polo coach in 2020-21. In his first campaign with the Explorers, Hyham was named MAAC Coach of the Year for his ten-win improvement with the women's team. In his second season, he increased the women's winning percentage from .303 to .444.
Hyham has over 30 years of experience in the sport and has spent seven years as a club coach in Southern California.
"Tom emerged as a candidate that we feel very comfortable leading the men's and women's water polo programs moving forward," Bradshaw said. "He has a deep understanding of the game, having been around it for over 30 years, and has connections in a key recruiting area."
Hyham began his water polo career in 1983 as a three-time Team MVP and all-league selection at Pacifica High School. He would go on to play collegiately at Cypress College, earning all-conference honors for the Chargers.
After his collegiate career, Hyham stayed involved in the sport as both a player and coach. He served as head varsity boys coach at Pacifica High School for five years, advancing his team to its first-ever appearance in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs. Hyham also played at the Master's level, participating in Master's Nationals multiple times.
Previous to La Salle, he was coaching club water polo in Southern California with Huntington Beach Water Polo's 18U teams. With Huntington Beach, a top-five club team in Southern California, he was responsible for the training and development of multiple elite level athletes.
Hyham is part of a family full of water polo players – he met his wife, Karla, playing high school water polo and has raised three daughters who have played the sport at a high level – Tori (recent graduate - Oregon Club), Kali (senior - Bucknell), and Marina (junior - Marist).
An all-around athlete, Hyham has completed two Ironman Triathlons over the last decade.
