Heather Moody
Heather Moody
Title: Head Water Polo Coach

Two-time Olympic Medalist and two-time Olympic Medal winning assistant coach Heather Moody begins her sixth season leading the St. Francis program in 2018. She was named the head coach of the St. Francis Water Polo program in August 2013.

The Troubadours advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs in each of her first five seasons, winning the title in 2015 and reaching the finals four times overall. She has coached 15 student-athletes to 22 All-Section honors, four All-Americans and 15 USA Water Polo Academic All-Americans. Alumna Lauren Charter was a two-time CIF Sac-Joaquin All-Section water polo first-team choice and earned NISCA All-America third-team honors.

Moody had her best season with the Troubadours in 2016, leading St. Francis to the Sac-Joaquin Section title for the first time since 2008. The Troubies defeated Davis with a come-from-behind 6-5 win in the Division I title game.

Moody brings an international resume to the Troubadour program both as a player and a coach. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, winning a Silver Medal at the 2000 Games and captained the U.S. to a Bronze Medal finish in 2004. Moody also led the Americans to gold medals at the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona and at the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic.

Following her playing career, she served on the United States coaching staff as an assistant for the 2008 Olympic team, helping lead the team to a Silver Medal in Beijing, and on the Gold Medal-winning staff in 2012 in London.

She joined St. Francis after leaving her post as assistant coach of the USA Women's Senior National Team and Head Coach of the USA Women's Junior National Team to join the American River Water Polo Club of Sacramento, Calif., where she serves as Performance Director. 

In April 2010, she was named the head coach of the U.S. junior national team and has been a coach at every level of the U.S. women's national team, including a stint as interim head coach at the 2005 FINA World Championships. In addition to being a two-time United States Water Polo Player of the Year (1999, 2001), Moody was also one of the first women to be elected into the New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame, joining 2004 Olympic teammates Natalie Golda and Nicolle Payne in 2007 as the first three women to earn the distinction.

In 2005, Moody served as Head Coach of the Women's Senior National Team piloting the squad to a Silver Medal at the FINA World Championships in Montreal. From there Moody was an Assistant Coach for the Senior National Team collaborating on a World Championship in 2007 in Melbourne and a Silver Medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Most recently she helped Team USA to their first ever Olympic Gold Medal, won at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 

Moody, inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in the summer of 2010, returned to USA Water Polo that same year after a two year stint at Long Beach State as an assistant coach.  She also coached at Golden West Junior College for five years.

Moody played collegiately at San Diego State.

As a member of San Diego State's water polo team, Moody led the Aztecs to a third-place finish at the 1996 Collegiate National Championship in her only season with the Aztecs. Moody was named a first-team All-American that year and was the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's Co-Player of the Year.

Moody’s United States National Team Coaching Chronology

2005    Women’s Senior National Team, Head Coach

FINA World Championships, Montreal, Silver Medal

2007    Women’s Senior National Team, Assistant Coach

FINA World Championships, Melbourne, Gold Medal

2008    Women’s Senior National Team, Assistant Coach

Olympics, Beijing, Silver Medal

2012    Women’s Senior National Team, Assistant Coach

Olympics, London, Gold Medal

Moody Year by Year

Year    Record            Section Finish            NorCal Finish

2013    18-13               Second

2014    17-11               Second

2015    18-7                 First

2016    11-11               T-Fifth

2017    20-9                 Second                        T-Fifth

Totals  74-51

All-America Selections

  • Jennalyn Barthels (2016, Second Team)
  • Lauren Charter (2014, Third Team)
  • Kobe Carpenter (2017, Fourth Team)
  • Maggie Oys (2016, Fifth Team)

All-Section Selections (16 Student-Athletes, 22 Honors)

  • Brinnley Barthels (2013 First Team)
  • Jennalyn Barthels (2014 Second Team, 2015 First Team)
  • Kobe Carpenter (2016 Second Team, 2017 First Team)
  • Lauren Charter (2013 and 2014 First Team)
  • Kira Chavez (2015 HM)
  • Sally Ferguson (2016 First Team)
  • Kendall Houck (2017 Second Team)
  • Elle Minor (2015 Second Team)
  • Maggie Oys (2013 and 2014 Second Team; 2015 First Team)
  • Sam Reinl (2015 Second Team)
  • Aly Tambornini (2015 First Team)
  • Caroline Urkov (2015 HM)
  • Maddy Vine (2016 Second Team)
  • Caroline Wilkins (2017 Second Team)
  • Marisa Zanobini (2014 First Team and 2013 Second Team)
  • Julie Zanobini (2015 Second Team)

Academic All-Americans (15)

  • Aubree Barr (2015, 2016)
  • Abbey Berg (2017)
  • Lauren Charter (2013, 2014, 2015)
  • Kira Chavez (2014)
  • Reagan Garcia (2017)
  • Elle Minor (2015)
  • Emalee Lavezzo (2017)
  • Madalyn Lavezzo (2014)
  • Maggie Oys (2014, 2015, 2016)
  • Emily Reinl (2013)
  • Sam Reinl (2014)
  • Aly Tamborni (2015)
  • Caroline Urkov (2014, 2015)
  • Julie Zanobini (2014, 2015, 2016)
  • Eileen Walsh (2013)