SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Olympic medalist, world champion, and former Hungarian national team goalkeeper Viktor Nagy has joined the Santa Clara University men's water polo staff as the program's new assistant coach, announced Friday by head coach
Keith Wilbur.
Nagy spent a 27-year career competing for the Hungarian national team from 2006–2021, helping Hungary win the 2013 World Championship. He earned three World Championship medals (one gold, two silver) and captured a European Championship gold medal in 2020, adding a silver in 2014 and bronze medals in 2008 and 2016. A three-time Olympian, Nagy represented Hungary at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympic Games and helped the team win bronze in Tokyo.
"We are very excited to have Viktor Nagy join our coaching staff at Santa Clara," said Wilbur. "Viktor's water polo career speaks for itself, and he will bring a ton of knowledge and experience to our program."
At the club level, Nagy competed for BVSC, Vasas, Szeged, and Szolnok, and won nine Hungarian Championships, eight Hungarian Cups, and four Hungarian Super Cups during his career. In European competition, he won the LEN Champions League (2016–17), LEN Super Cup (2017), and LEN Euro Cup (2020–21) with Szolnok.
"Since he moved to the United States a few years ago, he has immersed himself in coaching and he is very excited for the opportunity to coach at the college level," added Wilbur. "He also is very well connected internationally, which will be extremely valuable for recruiting. In addition to all of this, he has a tremendous work ethic, and I have already seen an excellent ability to connect with his players, which are qualities that will enable him to excel in coaching."
Nagy earned Swimming World Magazine Men's Water Polo World Player of the Year award in 2013 and received Best Goalkeeper honors at the 2013 World Championship and the 2016 European Championship.
Nagy has also built coaching experience at the national and club levels. Nagy served as goalkeeper coach for Hungary's 15U and 17U national teams from 2022–23. He most recently has been coaching club water polo with the 16U and 18U teams at San Jose Express and as the assistant coach at Valley Christian High School.
