SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo has removed Emma Myall's interim tag and named her the permanent head coach, Arnhold Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky announced Wednesday.
 
"We are so pleased to officially make Emma Myall the head coach of our women's water polo program," Barsky said. "The leadership she has shown and the culture she has worked to establish are qualities we look forward to building this program around for years to come."
 
Myall was elevated to the role of interim head coach just weeks before the 2025 season began and led the Gauchos to a 16-13 record, with signature victories over ranked opponents LMU, Brown and CSUN. At the end of the season, Santa Barbara saw three student-athletes earn the first All-Big West honors of their careers. Annie Kuester and Imani Clemons, both all-conference players for the first time under Myall, became the first Gaucho duo since 2013 to both score 50 or more goals in a season, with Kuester becoming the team's first 60-goal scorer in six years. Myall's Gauchos also had The Big West's second-best defense and a never say die attitude. Thirteen of their 16 games against ranked opponents — five of them overtime matches — were decided by three goals or less, including seven one-goal contests. Myall showed the resilience she had instilled in her team in an early season game at Indiana, when the Gauchos erased a four-goal fourth quarter deficit against the then-No. 11 Hoosiers. A week later, Santa Barbara fought their way out of a 7-1 hole to force overtime against then-No. 7 Fresno State.
 
Myall first joined the Gauchos for the 2024 season as an assistant coach, helping them to a 15-14 record. Her first coaching experience came at Pacific, where she was a student-athlete on the Tigers' women's water polo team and a volunteer assistant with Pacific's men's water polo squad. In 2021, she helped the Tiger men reach the Golden Coast Conference Championship match. James Graham, Pacific's Director of Water Polo, both coached Myall as a student-athlete and worked with her coaching the men's team. He was quick to both congratulate and express the upmost confidence in his former mentee.
 
"Having known Emma for many years, I've seen firsthand her unwavering dedication to a shared vision and her remarkable ability to cultivate a culture grounded in respect, resilience, and connection," Coach Graham said. "Her thoughtful leadership and adaptable spirit have always set her apart. I have no doubt she'll bring out the best in those around her and make a lasting impact in this new chapter."
 
Myall herself emphasized the importance of connection and culture throughout her first season at the helm, saying after The Big West Championship Quarterfinal, "We talked about love, and we talked about confidence and loyalty and accountability, and those things led us through the season."
 
At the end of the season, UC Santa Barbara's student-athletes showed their appreciation for Myall's servant leadership and coaching style. The Gauchos' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) named Myall one of their four finalists for UC Santa Barbara's Coach of the Year.
 
A native of Lafayette, California, Myall has a degree in Sports Science and Sports Education from Pacific and a master's in Management Entrepreneurship from Durham University in the United Kingdom.