Former National Champion and Division III Head Coach of the Year Michael Ashe was named the eighth head coach in Siena Water Polo program history in August 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael Ashe to the Siena College family as our new women’s water polo coach,” said D’Argenio. “Michael’s nearly 35 years of coaching experience and his transformational coaching philosophy align perfectly with our mission to develop student-athletes both in and out of the pool. His global perspective and proven success at every level of the sport will undoubtedly help us build a program that not only competes, but also cultivates champion individuals. Michael's commitment to prioritizing the holistic development of our athletes will undoubtedly make a significant impact on our program."
Ashe comes to Siena with 35 years of coaching experience, primarily at El Dorado High School in Placentia, CA, and at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, CA. While at El Dorado from 1993-2014, Ashe led the team to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II title in 1996. His team also turned in a CIF Division II runner-up finish in 1997 and quarterfinalists in 2006.
As an assistant coach at Corona del Mar from 2014-22 Ashe primarily oversaw individual athlete and team training. There, the team finished as CIF Division I runner-ups in 2017, semifinalists in 2014 and 2018, and as quarterfinalists in 2015, 2016, and 2019.
In 2023, Ashe served as the interim head water polo coach at California Lutheran University, where he built a highly competitive program that competed at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics. Under his direction, the team ranked as high as third nationally in Division III.
“I’m super excited to join the Siena family,” said Ashe. “I couldn’t be more grateful to John D’Argenio and Andrew Santandera for providing me this opportunity to guide the Siena Water Polo program. It’s a great day to be a Saint!”
At the NCAA Division III level, his Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team won the 2001 National Championship, while he was also selected as the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year. As an assistant coach at Long Beach State University that same year, he helped guide the team to a fourth-place finish at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.
Impressively, Ashe has coached at six World Championships and four Pan-Am Games. From 1991-97, he was on the United States National Team coaching staff. He has also spent time coaching internationally in New Zealand and China, building the Chinese Women's Program from scratch to a fifth-place finish in Beijing. At the same time, New Zealand continues to utilize his Player Identification and Development Program.
His career thus far has led him to inductions into the Southern Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019 and into the Bishop Montgomery High School Hall of Fame in 2012. While at Southern Oregon, Ashe was part of a run in which Southern Oregon captured 12 consecutive titles at the Northwest Water Polo Championships, and the streaks continued while he served as an assistant coach. As a swimmer he left a six-time All-American and 10-time NAIA District 12 champion, breaking school records in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyles from 1978-82.
Ashe earned his B.S. in Health/Physical Education from the University of Southern Oregon and his M.A. in Education from California State University.
