Scott Taylor
Head Coach
Coach Taylor begins his ninth season and has already boasted an impressive 250-22 record, winning 3 State Championships, 8 Southern California Championships and 8 Conference Titles. Seven of the past eight years, Golden West has played in the State Championship Game vying for the state title.
Since Taylor became Head Coach in 2002, the Rustlers claimed 8 Southern California Championships, and 8 consecutive Conference Titles. GWC closed out last year’s title run with being crowned Southern California Community College Champions and STATE CHAMPIONS.
As a player, Taylor helped the Rustlers win back-to-back championships in 1989 and ’90. After leaving GWC, he continued his playing career at UC Santa Barbara in 1991 and 1992.
Prior to taking over the Rustler head coaching duties, Taylor served as an assistant with the GWC polo program for three seasons. He also coaches and supervises the GWC swim program.
Taylor began his coaching career at Marina High School in 1993, before moving on to his alma mater, Costa Mesa High in 1994. He coached both the boys and girls programs for the Mustangs through 1997. In 1998, Taylor jumped to Rancho Santa Margarita High, again coaching both the boys and girls squads.
Kyle Kopp
Assistant Coach
Kopp is a 1996 and 2000 Olympian, and during his career he was known for his aggressive style of play and tireless work ethic. While with the National Team, Kopp was party to a 1997 FINA World Cup gold medal and two Pan American Games gold medals in 1995 and 1999. In his playing days at Long Beach State, Kopp was a three-time All-American and All-Big West selection, capturing All-Tournament Team honors at the NCAA Championships in 1988 and 1989. In 1988, Kopp was named the Big West Most Valuable Player after leading all scorers at the NCAA tournament.
Guy Baker (US National Team Head Coach) and Kyle Kopp are responsible for the development of P.A.C.E clinics which are geared towards teaching and educating local coaches, and athletes on the system that is identified as one of the best in the world.
Bernice Orwig
Assistant Coach
A former USC and USA National Team member, Bernice Orwig has been involved in coaching water polo since 1994 and was the starting goalkeeper on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team that won a silver medal in Sydney, Australia. She has been working as an assistant coach for the Women’s National Team since May 2005 and was the former assistant coach for UC Berkeley.
In 2005, Orwig was an assistant coach with the United States Junior National Team that won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Perth, Australia. Prior to coaching at Cal and assisting with the junior national team, Orwig served as an assistant coach for Drury-Pinto at the University of Michigan from 2000-02. In 1999-2000, Orwig was an assistant coach at her ala mater, USC, and from 1995-98 she was the head girl’s and assistant boy’s coach at Foothill High School in Santa Ana, Calif. During the 1994-95 season, Orwig was an assistant boy’s water polo coach at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.
As an athlete, Orwig was a star goalie at USC, earning second team All-America honors as a sophomore and junior. During her senior year, Orwig helped lead USC to the 1999 NCAA title, earning first team All-America honors. She graduated from USC in 1999 with a degree in social science education. As a member of the USA National Team from 1998-2003, Orwig also helped the USA Women to a silver medal at the 1999 Pan-American Games and an appearance at the 2001 FINA World Championships.
