Skip to content
Newport Harbor, in white caps, plays defense during a 7-4 victory against visiting Santa Margarita in the first round of the California State High School Championships on Friday. It was the Sailors' first match since learning that their club coach, Robert Lynn, who also coaches them in high school, will no longer be coaching them with Newport Beach club.
Newport Harbor, in white caps, plays defense during a 7-4 victory against visiting Santa Margarita in the first round of the California State High School Championships on Friday. It was the Sailors’ first match since learning that their club coach, Robert Lynn, who also coaches them in high school, will no longer be coaching them with Newport Beach club.
Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Staff Mug Shot taken August 26, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

NEWPORT BEACH One by one, Newport Harbor’s boys water polo players emerged on the pool deck Friday afternoon with a display of solidarity and disapproval regarding a coaching change that caught them off guard just hours earlier.

The players walked toward their locker room at Newport Harbor with their team T-shirts turned inside out and their thoughts focused on their displaced club coach, Robert Lynn, as they prepared for an opening match of the California State High School Championships.

“We’re not happy with the people who made the decision,” Newport Harbor senior-to-be Clay Davison said of the T-shirts display.

“We’re the players and we want to have a say. We know the coach the best. He’s with us 6 1/2 hours a day. It came out of nowhere. We’re all sitting at home and all of sudden we heard that he was laid off.

“We wanted to make a statement. We play for Robert Lynn and he’s our coach and he always will be. We don’t play for the club. Our loyalties are to Robert Lynn.”

Lynn, a former Olympic player and silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic assistant coach, is no longer coaching the Newport Harbor boys on their off-season club team, Newport Beach Water Polo Club, one of the club’s coaches, Pavle Filipovic, said Friday.

“There was a decision by the (club’s) Board of the Directors and they did not disclose any of that information (regarding why),” said Filipovic, Lynn’s top assistant at Newport Harbor.

“We don’t know any other information. It was just that he’s no longer going to be coaching with us, effective immediately.”

The news spread quickly Thursday night about the coaching change. An email from the club was sent to club members and families, Filipovic said.

Lynn served as the club’s 18-and-under boys coach and technical director. He coached the team on Thursday at Newport Harbor but wasn’t at the Sailors’ match Friday against Santa Margarita. Davison had three goals and four steals and goalie Ryan Taylor added seven saves to help lead Newport Harbor to a 7-4 victory.

“He was on deck (Thursday),” Filipovic said of Lynn. “We all found out through the email. A lot of the coaches were still coaching when the email came out. Everyone was just shocked. No one even thought about anything like this.”

Lynn declined comment in a text message Friday and the club’s president, John Dobrott, hasn’t returned phone calls seeking comment. Club treasurer James Fowler also didn’t return a call seeking comment.

Lynn’s departure not only arrived on the eve of the state tournament, arguably the top high school tournament of the summer, but close to the upcoming Junior Olympics, which start July 26 at Stanford.

While Filipovic said the club needs to figure out its coaching assignments for the Junior Olympics, another question looms concerning Lynn’s status as Newport Harbor’s boys water polo coach, one of the most high-profile positions in the nation.

“That’s kind of been a big question we’ve been wondering,” Davison said. “I think he will be (back). Most of our school is on his side. They know he’s a good coach and he’s really made us a lot better.”

Mike Zimmerman, the school’s athletic director, said Friday that Lynn remains the school’s boys water polo and boys swim coach but that the school administration will be looking into what happened to Lynn at the club. Zimmerman said he doesn’t know why Lynn was displaced but has let the administration know of the change.

Davison said the players are planning to send emails to the club board in support of Lynn.

“He’s a good guy. He’s a good coach and we need him,” he said. “He’s always done what’s best for us.”

Lynn has served as Newport Harbor’s boys water polo coach for the past three seasons, leading the Sailors to the Division 1 semifinals twice.

News of Lynn’s departure also arrived just two days after the club’s top players returned from a two-week training trip with Lynn to Italy. The players trained in the mornings and scrimmaged against locals in the evenings. They also made two trips to scrimmage locals in Switzerland.

“It was a great trip,” Filipovic said. “It was a great bonding, learning experience, training hard.”

Added Davison, “We left Italy on such a positive note. Everyone was so excited to play. It was one of the greatest team bonding experiences we’ve ever had. … Robert had relit the spark.”

But on Friday as they walked on deck, the Sailors’ spark was twisted and hard to see at times, just like their T-shirts.

NOTES

Once the match started, Newport Harbor played well under the guidance of Filipovic, Marco Palazzo and Stefano Ragosa. Center Gavin Kunkle scored twice, including a strong backer seconds into the first, while Zach D’Sa and Luke Bradbury each added one. D’Sa has played varsity for Long Beach Wilson but has been practicing this summer with the Sailors.

Newport Harbor’s defense held the Eagles scoreless for the final 12:19.

“That’s why I’m proud of them because they overcame all the distractions,” Filipovic said. “They’re full of crazed and mixed emotions but they were able to perform.”

Recent Croatian transfer David Pezzulich came off the bench to score twice for the Eagles. Santa Margarita goalie Ryan Melosini was tough, making 13 saves.

Newport Harbor later defeated San Ramon Valley, 11-8.