Corona del Mar water polo Coach John...

Corona del Mar water polo Coach John Vargas, who had said this would be his final season as the Sea Kings’ coach, hopes to return to Corona del Mar in 1994 after taking a leave of absence next season.

Vargas, a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, will join his fiancee, Lisa Marie Jurcazak, in Madrid, Spain, where the couple plan to be married.

Vargas has accepted a volunteer position as one of eight rotating assistants on the U.S. national team. While living in Spain, Vargas will scout for the national team and work with the team when it makes European trips. Vargas also plans to attend the team’s workouts while he’s in the United States. It’s possible that one of the eight assistants will be hired as the full-time assistant to U.S. Coach Rich Corso.

“I’m going to try to get involved as much as possible,” Vargas said. “I want to coach at that level, so I’ll do whatever they ask me to do.”

Vargas, a UC Irvine graduate, is in his 10th season at Corona del Mar. During his tenure, the Sea Kings have reached six Southern Section Division 4-A title matches and have won four championships.