News broke that the Bruins would have a new head coach for the 2026 campaign less than a month before the regular season began.

Longtime head coach Adam Wright stepped away from day-to-day operations of the UCLA women’s water polo program for the season to focus on his health.

[Related:Women’s water polo coach Adam Wright to step away from day-to-day duties]

But the change would not be drastic.

A familiar face took on the role, with then-associate head coach Jason Falitz promoted to interim co-head coach alongside UCLA men’s water polo assistant coach Matt Kubeck.

Falitz thrived in the role this year – and he deserves the chance to continue officially.

Both UCLA water polo programs deserve a full-time head coach. Falitz stepping up solves that by allowing both squads to get the well-deserved time and attention they need to operate at the Division I level.

It’s no longer realistic for one individual to run both programs. It creates a lose-lose situation, with one group always getting the short end of the stick.

Still, Wright is not the first UCLA head honcho to lead both programs. Former coach Guy Baker was the first to take the challenge and laid the foundation for what the role could look like.

Baker, a 2014 UCLA Hall of Fame inductee, left his mark on both programs during his tenure from 1991-2000. He revived the men’s program after it was dropped and launched the women’s program in 1993. The four-time National Coach of the Year won national titles with both programs in the same calendar year twice, and combined for seven national championships between both squads.

But it’s been nearly 30 years, and the collegiate landscape is different now.

Recruiting and Name, Image and Likeness have taken over college sports, which makes it nearly impossible for one person to oversee it all for two teams. None of the other water polo powerhouses – Stanford, California and USC – have one coach to manage both of their historic programs.

But a simple solution sits in front of UCLA’s face.

Giving Falitz the official opportunity.

He is no stranger to Westwood, having been with both programs since August 2021 when he was named the associate head coach of the women’s squad. Falitz’s ties to UCLA stretch further, as he’s been on the men’s team’s coaching staff since May 2015 – a testament to his loyalty to the university.

This season’s result may not have been what the Bruins wanted – in Falitz’s sixth season with the bunch – after falling to the No. 3 seed Trojans in the NCAA tournament semifinal round for the second year in a row. The UCLA squad was unable to take home its second national championship in three years, but it was able to take memories and meaningful lessons built on a growth-based focus back to Westwood.

And who was the person on the front line of those lessons? Falitz.

“When this all went down, my goal was to have this team not miss a beat. To hold the line, to hold the standard,” Falitz said after the semifinal loss. “And again, this is not my first year at UCLA. I’ve been here a really long time, and I’ve known these girls – these women, excuse me – for years. Okay, it’s different, but I think they trusted me. I trusted them. I think it was a special year, regardless of how it ended – and that’s why sports are tough. It’s only one team in the end, and we got close, but we didn’t get to where we wanted to go. But overall, it was an incredible experience.”

The Bruins did not miss a beat as a historically competitive water polo powerhouse. In the end, UCLA stayed on par with its in-state rivals. The Bruins achieved final season results resembling any other in Westwood – an NCAA tournament semifinals appearance and back-and-forth brawls all season in tight matches against its fellow power four opponents.

Six athletes received All-MPSF honors, tying for the overall league lead and proving the standard to be continually upheld. Senior utility Anna Pearson and junior goalkeeper Lauren Steele both earned first team honors for the third straight year of their collegiate careers. Pearson also received NCAA All-Tournament First Team honors after combining for three goals, four steals and drawing seven exclusions between April 24 and 25.

Falitz has only spoken positively about his players, being the coach who spoke to the media and managed the team during game days.

“She’s (Pearson) a monster in there. She’s the best center by far in the country. In my opinion, it’s not even close,” Falitz said. “But more importantly, what she showed over the course of her career is such great composure. … She showed how mature she is as a player and didn’t react. And I couldn’t be more proud of her (for) how she finished it off.”

No matter the player, Falitz expressed praise for their determination and their drive to continue improving. That energy also showed on the side of the pool and in timeout huddles, where Falitz was extremely vocal and led the latter to coach his team through tight matches.

A different approach to coaching was also taken this season. Compared to Wright, who is more critical with the players during games, Falitz brought a more calm and growth-based approach to the team.

“We used to always say he was kind of like the fun uncle, and we have a great relationship with him,” senior attacker Taylor Smith said Jan. 25. “We can joke around with him but also be serious at the same time. The head coach changed, but basically, all the principles stayed the same. All the details stayed the same, which has made the transition a lot easier.”

Although there’s been no announcement of what the future holds for the program’s coaching staff, it’s only a matter of time until it comes out.

And it’ll be better for all parties if decisions come sooner rather than later.