Justin Kassab enters his fourth year as head women's water polo coach at Salem. The Tigers have compiled a 45-36 record in Kassab's first three seasons tallying 9 All-Americans, 34 Academic All-American, 12 All-Conference players. In only its third year since the women's water polo program was reinstated at Salem after a seven-year absence, the Tigers won the WWPA conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Championships finishing the year ranked #23 nationally while concluding 2021 with a 18-12 record.
In a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Salem compiled a 13-10 mark in 2020. Eight of the Tigers' wins came against Division I opponents, including a 13-12 victory over nationally-ranked Brown.
In 2020, Salem women's water polo became the first Tiger program in any sport to have three All-Americans in the same year. The Tigers also excelled academically, posting the highest team grade point average in the nation for the second consecutive year. All nine Tiger team members earned individual All-Academic recognition. In Kassab's first year, Salem went 14-14 and finished sixth in the WWPA. Tiger student-athletes combined to earn two All-American, three All-Conference, one All-Tournament and eight All-Academic awards. Kassab joined the Tiger water polo after serving as goalie coach at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania from 2008-16 and assistant water polo coach for the Kingfish Water Polo Club in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.
In addition, Kassab served two stints as the head coach of the Mechanicsburg High School Water Polo team in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 2010 and 2015 and was also an assistant swim coach for the Cumberland Valley Aquatic Club from 2010-2015. The Mechanicsburg native was a four-year member and two-time Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Mid-Atlantic All-Conference selection at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Kassab starred scholastically at Cumberland Valley, where he was a High School All-American and a two-time All-State selection. Kassab received his bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock in creative writing with a minor in film and media studies. He earned his MFA in creative writing from Wilkes University and his MBA in sport and recreation management from Salem University.
