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Harvard University's Ted Minnis Featured in Palo Alto Daily News
July 7 Palo Alto Daily News Article on Ted
Minnis
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Newly appointed Harvard University men's and women's water polo coach Ted Minnis received additional coverage in the July 7 edition of the Palo Alto Daily News by staff writer John Reid. Minnis, who will take over the Harvard program from Erik Farrar, comes to Cambridge after coaching at Castilleja-Palo Alto for the past 11 years.
The articles' text follows:
The message on Ted Minnis' phone says it all:
"This is Ted Minnis, men's and women's water polo coach at Harvard. Please leave a message and I will return the call."
Minnis coached girls water polo at Castilleja-Palo Alto for the past 11 years after coaching boys water polo at Menlo-Atherton the eight years previous. He found out he was hired as both men's and women's water polo coach at Harvard on Friday.
"I found out about the job by some alumni contact in late May," said Minnis, 40. "It moved quickly. I did a phone interview. Then, I flew out for an in-person interview on June 17. I found out I was one of the final two candidates. I waited two weeks to hear if I was hired. I was a nervous wreck waiting for the phone to ring. They offered me the job and I accepted."
Minnis, who taught fitness and wellness at Castilleja, served as interim athletic director last year when Jez McIntosh took a year sabbatical. Minnis was also Castilleja Middle School Athletic Director and head junior varsity basketball coach.
"Ted has been preparing for this for the past 11 years," McIntosh said. "I'm thrilled for him. He has always wanted to coach at the collegiate level."
"What can you say about Jez McIntosh?" Minnis said. "I remember the first day I met him 11 years ago. We have been so much together."
The Gators' program rose under the guidance of Minnis, who has coached club water polo the majority of the past 20 years. Castilleja was in five Central Coast Section semifinals, reaching the title match in 2008 before losing to Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton 5-4 at Stanford.
"We had some lean years at first," said Minnis, a Menlo-Atherton alum of 1988.
Minnis plans to move at the end of the month, probably to Cambridge, a suburb of Boston.
"The athletic facility is on the Boston side of the Charles River," Minnis said. "It's a beautiful area."
Minnis feels his experience dealing with academic-oriented kids at Castilleja will help him recruit the same type of students at Harvard.
"I proved I can deal with smart kids who are athletic," said Minnis, who is in Southern California this weekend on a recruiting trip. "This is a great opportunity for me. I'm excited about it. It has been a whirlwind."
