SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team announced that Jenna Olson has been promoted into the program's lead assistant coach role on Friday. Olson was a part of the Gauchos' coaching staff in 2025 and will now continue working alongside head coach Emma Myall into the 2026 campaign and the future.
 
"I'm really excited to have Jenna on the staff," Myall said. "She is the perfect yin to my yang. Last year, I loved her presence on the team, I think she really suits the team atmosphere."
 
A former Big West student-athlete herself, Olson helped Santa Barbara to a 16-13 record in 2025, highlighted by a famous victory against her alma mater, CSUN, on the Gauchos' Senior Day. The season also saw Annie Kuester and Imani Clemons take a massive step forward under Myall, Olson and the rest of the staff, with both seniors earning their first career All-Big West honors at the end of the year. Bella Mady also flourished in her rookie season under Myall and Olson, as the Canadian made it three Gauchos earning All-Big West recognition.
 
Prior to arriving in Santa Barbara, Olson had already coached at the club, high school and community college levels. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from CSUN in 2024, Olson came to Santa Barbara as an assistant coach at Santa Barbara City College, where she was the Western State Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a student-athlete in 2022. As a coach with the Vaqueros, she helped SBCC to a second-place finish in the state of California. Olson also coached the San Marcos High School girls' water polo freshman squad in the winter of 2024, as well as the SB 805 Water Polo Club's 12U girls and 10U co-ed teams, a group she has worked with since 2022. Also in the winter of 2024, Olson was invited to attend USA Water Polo's Girls' Holiday Camp in Colorado Springs, where she worked alongside U.S. National Team coaches at the Olympic Training Center, developing her coaching skills.
 
Olson's first season working with Myall and the Gauchos ended with a narrow, one-goal loss to hosts UC Irvine in The Big West Championship Quarterfinal. The two coaches will now look to take Santa Barbara a step forward and turn their promising performances into results.