Experienced OC coach Ed Carrera named to guide water polo program at Crean Lutheran

Ed Carrera has been named the new water polo coach at Crean Lutheran High School. (Photo courtesy Crean Lutheran High School)

Highly-successful veteran Orange County coach Ed Carrera has been named the new varsity water polo coach at Crean Lutheran High School, school officials announced Friday.

Athetic Director Eric Olson made the announcement.

Carrera will lead the Saints boys team in the fall. The girls water polo season is held in the winter months. Carrera is hoping to develop a strong girls team at Crean Lutheran. The school did not field a girls water polo squad last season.

“My goals are to qualify for the playoffs in year one,” Carrera said about his plans for the boys team. “For the girls team, my goal is to build a program that will be sustainable year in and year out.”

Carrera said a number of factors were instrumental in him accepting the position.

“Besides my background of being at a faith based school, I really liked Mr. Olson and Crean Lutheran’s desire to build a strong aquatics program,” Carrera said. “Finally Crean Lutheran being in my hometown of Irvine sealed the deal for me.”

Carrera has coached at a number of programs, including Northwood and most recently Orange Lutheran.

“I think about my experience at previous schools, Orange Lutheran, Portola, Concordia University, Vanguard University, Northwood and Woodbridge,” he said. “It has helped me understand the process and has given me a blueprint for the future.”

The Crean Lutheran boys team is working out at the Irvine Regional Outdoor Park with home games scheduled for the Woollett Aquatics Center, Carrera said.The Saints first game is Wednesday, Sept. 1, vs. Ocean View at Ocean View.

Carrera is the program director for North Irvine Water Polo Club/Speed Aquatics and has an extensive coaching career in Orange County. Carrera has coached at Northwood High School, Concordia University Irvine and was the Aquatics Director at Vanguard University. Carrera was then named head boys/girls swim coach and head girls water polo coach at Orange Lutheran High School where he was part of the Division 1 CIF championship girls and boys team in 2017 and state championship girls squad in 2018.

Carrera has been the head coach for the Woodbury Waves Irvine Swim League team for the last eight years leading the team to a number of championships.

The new Saints coach was also a 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018 member of the Ecuador Senior Men’s National Water Polo Team and competed in the Pan American Games in Toronto in 2015. 

Carrera is a graduate of Concordia University Irvine where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Leadership. He and his wife Kaylen have three children: Kyson, Fiori and Isla.