Preslav Djippov

Preslav Djippov is Whittier College head coach for men's and women's water polo. Prior to his tenure at Whittier, Djippov served as the head coach for Westcliff University since 2020, where he established the program from its inception. In 2022, his men's team secured victory in the NAIA Championship, amassing a 20-15 record in only their second year of competition.

Before his time at Westcliff, Djippov served as the men's club water polo head coach at USC. He subsequently assumed leadership of the women's water polo program at Columbia University, guiding his team to victory in the New York State Division Championship in 2017.

Concurrently, Djippov undertook coaching responsibilities for the junior and senior water polo teams at Greenwich Aquatics Club in Greenwich, CT. He also directed the ODP Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2017. Djippov adeptly trained numerous national travel team players and secured the Championship division title at the National Junior Olympics in 2019 with the 18U boys team in Orange County.

Following his relocation to the West Coast, Djippov embraced coaching roles with the Del Mar Water Polo Club in San Diego, as well as Canyon Crest Academy High School, where he led the Girls Varsity team CIF Division 1.

Before arriving in the United States, Djippov served as the assistant coach of Water Polo Club Cherno More-1948 in Varna, Bulgaria. In his playing career, Djippov was a distinguished member of the Bulgarian Senior and Junior National Water Polo teams, clinching the Bulgarian National Championship in 2009 and 2010, along with the Bulgarian National Cup in 2011 and 2012.

In addition to leading Whittier's water polo programs, Djippov is also the head water polo coach at Patriot Aquatics in Irvine where he coaches the U18 boys team. Djippov has been with Patriot Aquatics since 2021. He led his team to the Junior Olympics in summer 2023, with Patriot Aquatics taking home the gold medal in the Gold Division Bracket.

Djippov holds a Bachelor's degree in Statistics and Econometrics from the University of Economics in Varna, Bulgaria. He later earned his Master's in Public Finance from the same institution.

He has been happily married to his wife Elina since 2010, and together, they reside in Aliso Viejo with their sons, Kristiyan and Adrian.

John Pringle

With over 20 years of experience, Coach John Pringle is a highly successful coach and educator. He has a B.A. in American Literature and Culture from UCLA and an M.Ed. in Education - School Leadership from USC.

Pringle has been the head boys and girls water polo coach at La Serna High School since 2015, leading his teams to multiple league championships and 3 CIF titles. He has been recognized as the Whittier Daily News Coach of the Year and CIF Coach of the Year multiple times. He has also coached at Youngwood Aquatics, which he founded in 2017.

Prior to La Serna, Pringle coached at El Rancho High School, Montebello High School, and Pasadena Polytechnic School, achieving success at each school and winning CIF with Pasadena Poly in 2012. He was the founder and coach for Dons Water Polo Club, based out of El Rancho High School.

In addition to his coaching career, Pringle has been an English teacher at La Serna High School since 2015 and previously taught at El Rancho High School. He has experience teaching students in grades 9-12, including AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, and ELD