Trent Calder returns to the deck at the Schaal Aquatics Center for his fourth season as head coach Daniel Leyson’s top assistant with the UC Davis men’s water polo program in 2020. Joining the staff in the spring of 2017, he assists in all aspects of the program, including recruiting and operations.
Over the past three seasons, Calder has helped lead the Aggies to a pair of Western Water Polo Association titles and two trips to the NCAA Tournament, winning 56 matches and a dominating 20-1 mark in league play.
He has helped mentor student-athletes to a total of four ACWPC All-America honors and 12 All-WWPA selections, as well as 11 WWPA All-Tournament Team picks and a pair of tournament MVPs.
In the classroom, the Aggies have also succeeded, as student-athletes have gone on to earn 20 ACWPC Academic All-America Awards — including a team honor in 2017 — and 24 WWPA All-Academic Team honors.
His expertise has also expanded to the international stage as Calder has been a part of the USA Water Polo National Team system, helping lead the United States Men’s Cadet National Team to a gold medal at the Darko Cukic Memorial Tournament in Serbia in 2017, and a bronze medal in 2018, as an assistant coach.
He also won a silver medal as head coach of the Men’s Youth National Team at the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships, guaranteeing the United States a spot at the Youth World Championships and, a year later, won gold at the Junior Pan Am Games as an assistant coach, securing a spot for Team USA for the 2020 Youth World Championships.
Calder joined the Aggies after spending three seasons at Brown University as a director of operations, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2014, the Bears won their first Eastern Conference championship in 30 years and made their first NCAA postseason appearance since 1985.
A year later, Brown won the Ivy League title and went undefeated in league play for the first time in program history. Then in 2016, Calder helped guide the program to a 22-8 record and the inaugural Northern Water Polo Conference crown.
In his three-year tenure with the Bears, six players earned ACWPC All-America accolades, including two-time honoree Will Klein, who also garnered conference Player of the Year distinction.
As a collegiate student-athlete, Calder won back-to-back NCAA championships at Cal in 2006 and 2007. He served as the Golden Bears' team captain in his final two seasons, and added All-America honorable mention as a senior. Calder scored 33 goals in each of his junior and senior years, adding a team-best 34 combined field blocks during that span.
He subsequently played for the USA Senior National Team in 2009, representing his country at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.
On the club scene, Calder coached with the Lamorinda Water Polo Club as an assistant for the boys 14-18 squads. With the 16's he compiled a 44-0 regular-season record and won the gold medal at the 2011 Junior Olympics, Club Championships, and Kap7 Invitational. In 2012-13, Calder assumed the helm as the 18-and-under head coach, guiding the program to a bronze at the 2013 Junior Olympics.
