Coaching Staff
Rudy Kardos
Head Coach & founder
Primary Focus U16/18 Boys & U12 Coed
Rudy was born in former Czechoslovakia in the city of Kosice where he started playing water polo when he was 10 years old. He played club polo through all youth age groups, as well as adult National League for 6 years, with the best result of winning the bronze medals and taking the third place in the nation. Upon his arrival to USA he ended up playing masters level water polo for years all around CA. Rudy settled down in Marin County, and after coaching for some of the local clubs, he founded SHARKS Water Polo Club in 2009 with a goal to return to local youth what water polo lifestyle has gifted him. Since 2011 Rudy is the Redwood Giants High School Varsity Boys team head coach. Recent highlights include winning MCAL Championship and CIF-NCS D1 Championship with Redwood HS Boys team in the fall of 2023, MCAL Championship in the fall of 2022, an assistant coach position with the USA Cadet Boys National team at the 2022 FINA Cadet World Championship in Greece, winning first place at the National Junior Olympics with the SHARKS WPC U12 Coed team in the summer of 2022 as well as 2nd place in 2021 and 3rd place in 2023, winning first place in CIF-NCS D1 Championship and winning first place NorCal D2 title with Redwood Varsity Boys team in the fall of 2021, assistant coach position at the USA Cadet Boys National Team at the Futures Camp in Budapest in 2021, winning MCAL Championship and NCS D2 Championship with Redwood HS Varsity Boys team in 2014.
Mary Collie
Age Group Head Coach
Primary Focus U10 Coed
Mary joined the Sharks Water Polo club coaching staff in the winter of 2022. She's been coaching water polo for 20+ years. Recent highlights include winning MCAL Championship and CIF-NCS D2 Championship with Marin Academy Girls team, leading the USA Cadet Girls National Team in Barcelona in 2019, taking third place at JOs for U10 girls in 2018, being names "Top Coach" at ODP National Championships in 2016, being a mentor coach at USAWP's Holiday Camp, and teaching and coaching student-athletes at Marin Academy high school for the last 17 years. When not coaching, Mary spends time in the pool with her family (husband and fellow water polo coach Jamie, 8-year old Q, and 5 1/2-year old Kerry), reading, and enjoying life outdoors.
Scott gregory
Age Group Head Coach
Primary Focus U16/18 Girls
Scott was born and raised in the Bay Area as well as living and working in Lake Tahoe. He transitioned from racing downhill and cross-country skiing to teaching both in early 2000's. He began playing water polo as sophomore at Redwood High School in Marin playing three seasons as well as playing competitive club water polo for the University of Arizona. He still plays masters water polo and travels to tournaments as time allows and is a founding member of Marco Polo masters water polo club in Marin. Upon returning to the Bay Area he began coaching high school water polo in 2012 and has coached boys and girls club and high school water polo ever since. His love of the game inspired him to want to help grow the sport and introduce it to bay area youth. He has been the Redwood High School Junior Varsity Boys coach since 2014.
Brian Monty
Age Group Head Coach
Primary Focus U16/18 Girls
Brian grew up in the Lamorinda area and played high school water polo at Acalanes High School. Brian played collegiate water polo at UC Berkeley and was member of the 1990, 1991, and 1992 NCAA CAL Championship teams. He was the Acalanes Varsity Boys Head Coach from 1995 until 2010. Brian is currently the Redwood High School Varsity Girls Head Coach as of the fall of 2022.
Paul Hettler
Age Group Head Coach
Primary Focus U14 Girls
Paul was born and raised in Sunnyvale, CA. in the Silicon Valley. He was a water polo goalie for all 4 years on his high school Varsity team and for De Anza College. He also played club water polo at San Diego State University. Paul recently completed his 6th season as the Head Coach for the Tamalpais High School Varsity Girls Water Polo Team.
In that role he led the team to these highlights: 2023 NCS Division 2 - 2nd place, 2021 MCAL Champions, 2020 MCAL Champions, 2019 NCS Division 2 - 1st place Champions, 2019 NorCal Division 3 - 1st place Champions, 2018 NCS Division 2 - 1st Place Champions.
Leana Ngo
Age Group Head Coach
Primary Focus U10 Coed, Splashball, U12 Coed
Social Media Liason
Leana was born in Hanoi, Vietnam and moved to Marin County early on in her life. She started competitively swimming at the age of 4 years old where she discovered her love of water and competition. She signed up for SHARKS Water Polo Club in 2013, where she started playing water polo under coach Rudy Kardos. She continued water polo at Redwood High School, spending two years on JV and two on Varsity team. She also swam on the Redwood High School Swim and Dive team for her freshman and sophomore years. She then switched to competitive diving for the last two, becoming Captain of the Varsity dive team as a Senior in 2018. Leana then went to college at Northern Arizona University where she continued to pursue diving. She recently graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration, Marketing. Whilst pursuing her professional career, she decided to start coaching with the Sharks to share her passion of water polo and her love of the water with the new generation of SHARKS WPC players.
Christian Hockenbury
Age Group Coach
Primary Focus U14 Boys
Christian was raised in Newport Beach, CA where he started playing water polo when he was 5 years old. He played club polo through all youth age groups, and eventually played water polo and swam at Mater Dei High School. He won 2016 18u Junior Olympics with Regency Water Polo club and set several school records as a sprint freestyler; winning the CIF SS 50 Free twice in a row in 2016 & 2017 and finishing 2nd in state both years as well. He graduated in 2017 and went to play Water Polo and study Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California and played on the 2018 USC National Championship Team. He graduated from USC in 2022 and moved up to Marin and is now working in the East Bay. He felt inspired by what water polo has offered to him in his life and wants to provide that for the younger generation.
Holden Waltz
Age Group Coach
Primary Focus U12 Coed
Coach Holden, a Marin county native and Tamalpais High School Alumni, joined SHARKS Water Polo Club coaching staff in the Fall of 2023. He is a recent graduate of Tulane University, where he continued his passion for the sport playing for the University club team.
Danielle Sartori
Goalie Coach
Primary Focus - ALL Goalkeepers
Coach Daanielle started her goalie career on the soccer field and made transition to water polo cage in high school. She then went on to play collegiate water polo at the University of Pacific and currently continues to play as a master athlete for the Olympic Club of San Francisco team. She has been part of the USA Water Polo's Olympic Development Program (ODP) Goalie staff for more than 10 seasons helping young goalkeepers build their skills and knowledge of the game.
Lainey Wank
Student Coach
Coach Lainey has joined the Sharks coaching staff in the winter of 2022-23. She is currently playing high school water polo for Redwood Giants Varsity team.
Sydney Moseley
Student Coach
Coach Sydney has joined the Sharks coaching staff in the winter of 2022-23, but started her water polo carrier as player at SHARKS WPC in U10 & U12 teams. Coach Sydney is currently playing high school water polo for Redwood Giants Varsity team as well as playing club water polo with SHAQ.
Libby Hughes
Student "Guest" Coach
Coach Libby, a Sharks and Redwood Alumni, is currently student at St. Andrews University in Scotland where she is playing water polo. Libby is one of our student coaches sharing her experiences with our age group teams.
Travis Hughes
Student "Guest" Coach
Coach Travis, a Sharks and Redwood Alumni, is currently a student at the Occidental College where he plays division 3 collegiate water polo. Travis loves to share his experiences with our age group teams.
Dylan Zorn
Student "Guest" Coach
Coach Dylan, a Sharks (U10, U12, U14) and Redwood HS Alumni, is currently a student at LMU where he plays division 1 collegiate water polo. Dylan continues to share his experiences with our age group teams.
Elliot King
"Guest" Coach
Elliot was born in Canada, and after many moves ended up in Marin at age 11. He started playing water polo at age 13 with SHARKS WPC and is one of our Alumni. He continued to play water polo at Redwood High School for coach Rudy where he graduated in 2017. Then in the next step in both his water polo and academic career started at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) and ended up playing water polo for both the University and the local club team in BWPL (British Water Polo League). Throughout college he also coached at SHARKS WPC on seasonal bases the Splashball and U10 age group team. He has recently graduated from the University of St. Andrews and while looking for a full time position he wants to give back to the very club that got him started. Other than coaching he will also continue playing with the local masters team as well as attempt to learn tennis. He cannot wait to help develop the next generation of players at SHARKS WPC.