Joe Tristan enters his seventh season as the head women's water polo coach at Behrend.  Tristan is committed to constantly improving the program through both academic and athletic success.  

Tristan lead the 2007 men's team to the third most wins in school history. The blue and white were ranked eleventh in the nation in goals per game.  Through Tristan's leadership the Behrend Lions tallied 10.5 goals per game.  

Tristan led his 2004 team into Behrend history with a fourth place finish at the Division III Eastern Championships and guided two players to the All-Tournament team.  He also led Anthony Spoto to the Division III All-America Team and was able to take Spoto to the USA Senior Men's National Team Tryouts in Southern California.  Last season the men finished fourteenth in the academic national poll, the highest the team had reached since the program began. 

Coach Tristan is a member of USA Water Polo where he is currently a Level 3 coach.  He is also a member of the American Water Polo Coaches Association.  
Tristan joined the Behrend Lions after leading the women's club water polo program at Eastern Michigan University. He also was an assistant coach for the Great Lakes Water Polo Club in Ann Arbor, MI. At EMU he coached a pair of all-conference players and directed the team to earn all-academic honors. From 1997-2002, Tristan was the head boy's junior varsity coach for Huron High School. 

A native of Southern California, Tristan played water polo and swam for Earl Warren High School. He also played water polo for Tulare Water Polo Club and for Eastern Michigan in 1995-96. In 2000, Tristan competed and finished twenty-second in the United States Olympic swimming trials in the 200 meter freestyle.  From 1998-2000 Tristan was ranked in the FINA Top 20 and the top 100 in the World in the 200 meter and 100 meter freestyle events. He currently is EMU's record holder in the 800 freestyle relay. Tristan was a vital part of a pair of EMU Mid-American Conference Swimming and Diving Championship teams.  

While serving as a coach at Behrend Tristan will also serve as the assistant men's and women's swimming coach and instruct in the health and physical education department. 

Anthony Spoto joins the women's water polo program after an outstanding career for the men's water polo team from 2004-2007.

Spoto was a two-time All-America selection during his playing days, first in 2004 as an honorable mention and again in 2007 as a member of the second team.  He is the career leader in goals scored for the men's water polo team at Behrend, ranking first with 247 career goals.  Spoto also ranks first all-time in shooting percentage, and was nationally ranked in goals scored in each of his four seasons.  Spoto also competed on the men's swimming team where he was named the rookie of the year his freshman year. 

Spoto graduated in 2008 with a degree in electrical engineering from Behrend and is now working toward an MBA.