Jonathan Barnea enters his 11th season as assistant coach of the Stanford men's water polo team.
In his 10 years on The Farm, Barnea has been instrumental in guiding the Cardinal to a 199-66 (.751) mark during that period. He has helped in the development of 47 All-Americans, including first team selections Bret Bonanni (2013, 2014), Alex Bowen (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), Jimmie Sandman (2008, 2009), Drac Wigo (2009), Sage Wright (2007, 2008), Thomas Hopkins (2005) and Peter Varellas (2005).
During Barnea's time on The Farm, the Cardinal has advanced to the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship four times (2005, 2008, 2013, 2014) and made two appearances in the title game (2005, 2008)
In 2014, Stanford went 26-4, its highest win total since 1994, and won the program’s first MPSF Championship since 2004. The Cardinal finished third at the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship for the second consecutive season and has made the national postseason tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since it went five straight years from 2001 to 2005.
Barnea joined the program after spending three years as the head coach of the Palo Alto High School boys' team as well as the Stanford Water Polo Foundation's boys' 14-and-under team. In 2005, Barnea led Palo Alto to a third-place finish in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division and in the postseason guided the Vikings to the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section Division II tournament.
Barnea's Stanford Foundation team took second at the Speedo Cup Nationals in 2003 and 2004 and third at the National Junior Olympics in 2004. He also served as an assistant for the Stanford Foundation high school boys' team.
Barnea was the head coach for the Pacific Zone Development team from 2004-05, leading that squad to a national age-group championship in 2004 and a second-place showing the following year. He also served as an assistant coach on the United States National Development Team.
Barnea graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2002 with a degree in anthropology. He and his wife, Teresa, live in Sunnyvale.