A Harvard Man to Lead U.S. Team? : Corso Might Test Olympic Waters

Rich Corso is doing his time. Not hard time, mind you, but the kind of time that he hopes will enhance his international appeal.

The most successful coach in the junior national water polo team’s history and Harvard High’s coach for three years, Corso would like to become the next Olympic coach. Bill Barnett, the current Olympic coach, is up for re-election by the Men’s International Olympic Water Polo Committee--the U.S. governing body for Olympic water polo--in Indianapolis on Dec. 10. Coaches serve four-year terms. The committee’s decision must be approved by U. S. Water Polo, Inc.--the national umbrella organization. Corso’s name, among others, likely will be on that ballot.

“It’s a career goal,” Corso said.

Corso, originally from East Hartford, Conn., has been the head coach at Yale and an assistant at Stanford and UCLA. His junior national team placed sixth in the 1985 and ’87 world championships--the highest finish for a U. S. team--won a gold medal in the 1986 Junior Pan American Games and bronze medals in 1985 and ’88. The team also has qualified for the 1989 world championships in Yugoslavia.

Corso, 33, knows that the odds are against him. This year’s Olympic team is two victories away from a gold medal, which bodes well for the incumbent.

“If Barnett wins the gold, everybody would expect him to be there another four years,” Corso said. “But I’ll probably run, even if they do well, so people start thinking about me for the next quadrennium.”

Pete Cutino, chairman of the water polo committee, head coach at Cal and 1976 Olympic coach, thinks otherwise.

“It’s a process we go through each quadrennium,” he said. “We really don’t know who’s interested in running. It’s an open thing as far as that’s concerned.”

There has been indication of a natural progression: The junior national coach rises to the national B team or the Olympic team in various capacities. Barnett coached the junior national team for a term.

Corso hopes he fits into the progression, if not now, then down the line. But he said that he would not take an assistant’s or B-team job. Corso’s mentor, Monte Nitzkowski, the 1984 Olympic coach under whom he served in 1984, suggests that this might not be Corso’s time.

“I’m sure that Bill Barnett will run again,” Nitzkowski said. “And, in my mind, you’re looking at a coach for eight years to get the maximum consistency.

“If Rich is going to run and not be in a position to win, then my advice to him would be not to run, and go for it four years from now.”

Corso has taken on challenges before and won. Harvard had gone to the playoffs just twice in its history before he arrived. The Saracens are 48-13 since, lost in the final of the Southern Section 2-A Division last season and are the 2-A Division’s top-ranked team.

Should he run for the Olympic position and lose, Corso’s term as junior national coach might be extended through August for the world championships, or he could be ousted from the position.

“There’s a ton of politics in amateur sports,” said Corso, who gives himself a 60% chance of being re-elected. “With my reputation and my track record with international water polo, if the federation is not smart enough to keep people in their sport who have international experience, then that’s a mistake.”