HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) is excited to announce Nick Graffis as their next boys’ water polo head coach.

With an impressive resume of coaching experience, Graffis is very familiar with the HBHS Aquatics program, having previously served as the HBHS JV and Frosh/Soph boys’ water polo head coach and Varsity boys’ assistant coach from 2016 to 2018. He returned to assist the HBHS Varsity team in 2023, where he helped lead the boys’ team to their first-ever CIF Division 1 Championship. Graffis also led the Edison High School water polo boys’ (2018-2023) and girls’ (2016-2023) programs to success, including the girls’ first-ever quarterfinal, semifinal, and final appearances and a league championship in 2022. He has also assisted the Orange Coast College women’s water polo team (2019), assisted the men’s and women’s water polo programs at Cypress Community College (2019-2022), and was the head coach of the University of California, Irvine, women’s club water polo team (2013-2015), where he led them to their highest finishes in program history, including the 2015 CWPA National Semifinals. Because of these accomplishments, Graffis was named the 2015 CWPA Southwestern Division Coach of the Year and 2015 UCI Club Sports Coach of the Year. Most recently, Graffis took on the role of Youth Program Director at Vanguard Aquatics in 2023, where he began as an assistant coach (2014) and took over as head coach (2015-2023) for multiple age groups for the boys’ and girls’ water polo programs, where he led his teams to multiple medal finishes at the Junior Olympics.

“I've been involved in the water polo community here for over ten years now,” explained Nick Graffis. “It has been extremely fulfilling to see so many athletes I’ve coached at 10 years old grow up into talented players and now they are heading off to college. I’m so grateful to have had a small part of their journeys, and I’m excited to become a bigger part of it here at HBHS."

HBHS Athletic Director Melissa Vandenbosch shared, “We have no doubt that Nick’s commitment to excellence and dedication to student-athlete success will be invaluable as he takes on this new role. His passion for the sport, proven leadership, and previous coaching experience make him a great fit as the head coach of our boys’ water polo program.”

The Huntington Beach Union High School District is thrilled to welcome Nick Graffis to the helm of the boys’ water polo program and can’t wait to see the student-athletes succeed under his leadership.