Brian Fickies has been involved with the sport of water polo since 1986. As a player he was a high school All-American, a member of the US National Youth Developmental Team and played collegiate water polo. As a coach he has had the privilege in developing several high school and collegiate All-conference and national All-Americans. Coach Fickies believes the key to developing robust water polo players is establishing a strong foundation in basic skills, balanced with dynamic drills that mirror game like situations.
Water Polo Coaching Experience: Head Coach Michigan State University Men's Team (1997-2007), Head Coach Okemos Girls Team (1996-2007), Head Coach Okemos Boys Team (1996-1997), Head Coach of Former Okemos/Capital Area Water Polo Club (1996-2007), Head Coach US Water polo Midwest Zone Men's 18 and Over team (2005), Volunteer Assistant Coach US National Youth Developmental Team (1998).
Water Polo Coaching Honors: Big Ten Champions (2000, 2004, 2005, 2006), Collegiate Water Polo Club National Champions (2000, 2006), Big Ten Coach of the Year (2004, 2005, 2006), National Coach of the year (2000, 2006), Michigan High Water Polo Association Coach of the year (1996)
Coach Anderson hails from Southern California. His youth spent surfing and swimming led him to water polo at Los Alamitos High School. At Los Al he was a 3-year varsity letterman, leading his team in goals his senior year, 1987. That year the Los Al Griffins won the competitive Orange County Empire League for the first time, toppling 7th-straight winner El Dorado High School. The ’87 team furthered their record season reaching the CIF Southern Section 3A division state finals where they once again faced off with rival, and defending champions, El Dorado. The hard-fought battle at Belmont Plaza Pool, Long Beach ultimately went to El Dorado in a tight 9-7 finish. Anderson and team finished the year with a 27-6 record.
Awards:
- All American Honorable Mention 1987
- All California CIF Southern Section 3A 2nd team 1987
- All Empire League 1st team 1987
After high school, Anderson joined the USC Trojan Water Polo Club where he played on the 1988 Junior Olympic gold medal winning squad in Orlando, FL. He later attended USC as a walk-on and earned a spot on the 16-member varsity squad as a sophomore. The following year as a redshirt junior Anderson decided it was time to hang up the suit and cap.
Thirty years later Anderson added “Coach” before his name as a member of the St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati) varsity boy’s water polo team as assistant coach.
Coaching Experience:
- Fall 2021: Assistant Coach, St. Xavier HS boys (Cincinnati, OH)
- Fall 2022: Head Coach, Sycamore HS girls (Cincinnati, OH)
- Ohio State Championships 3rd place finish (record 21-7)
- Ohio girls Coach of The Year
- Fall 2023: Head Coach, Michigan State Men's Club
- Big10 Champions
- Big10 Coach of The Year
- Spring 2024: Associate Head Coach, East Lansing HS girls
- Fall 2024: Head Coach, Michigan State Men's Club
- Big10 Runner-up
- Spring 2025: Associate Head Coach, East Lansing HS girls
- Fall 2025: Head Coach, Michigan State Men's Club
- Big10 Runner-up
- Spring 2026: Head Coach, East Lansing HS girls
A former Los Angeles-based advertising executive and small business operations consultant, Coach Anderson now resides in DeWitt, Michigan with healthcare marketing superstar wife Kara and high school-aged twin daughters Rae and Gus.
Coach Faye grew up swimming and playing water polo. She began her polo career in the 5th grade and played all the way through high school and one year in college. She is currently a student at MSU studying education. Coach Faye has been coaching since she graduated high school in 2022. In addition to assisting with the East Lansing HS boys water team, Faye coaches the Raptor middle school swimmers and water polo players. Coach Faye truly enjoys coaching and loves being involved with the sports she grew up playing!
Madelyn has been involved with HOTEL Water Polo since 2014 when she started playing in high school. She moved on down the road to Michigan State University, where she obtained a degree in Mathematics, and is now a high school Algebra 1 teacher at East Lansing High School.
She took over coaching the Girls Water Polo Team in 2018 and the Boys Water Polo Team in 2021 and has been coaching them for since. She is thrilled to continue with both the girls’ and the boys' team this season and cannot wait to watch them grow and see what they can accomplish.
Coach Annika is currently senior at Michigan State University studying human biology and Spanish. She started playing water polo in 7th grade at East Grand Rapids for her middle school team and continued playing for EGR throughout high school. After graduating, she went on to play varsity water polo for Bucknell University as the team’s goalie. This will be Coach Annika’s first year coaching water polo but she is excited for the opportunity to coach the girls at East Lansing and the upcoming season.
