Interview with Dante Dettamanti : Stanford Athletics Oral History Project
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Dante Dettamanti reflects on his career in collegiate athletics and his experiences as the men’s water polo coach at Stanford University from 1977 to 2002, offering insights into the athletes, coaching and recruiting methods, and institutional values that led his teams to eight NCAA Championships. He also offers his perspective on the evolution of Stanford sports, the history of water polo at Stanford, financing college athletics, and the impact of Title IX on sports at Stanford. Additional topics include growing up in Santa Maria, California; his early coaching positions at Occidental, University of the Pacific, and UC Santa Barbara; NCAA and PAC-10/PAC-12 conference compliance; and his opinion on paying college athletes with outside sponsorships.
- Summary
- Part 1 [00:00-32:07] Early life and birth • Father’s youth and swimming accomplishments in Italy • Dante’s childhood athletic experiences • Introduction to swimming and water polo • Experience at UC Davis and ROTC commitment • Army service in Korea during Vietnam War • First coaching experience and decision to make it a career • Return to UC Davis • Graduate school and coaching at UCLA; Coach Bob Horn • First head coaching job at Occidental College • Coaching philosophy • Learning to recruit • Summers coaching in Hawaii [32:07-01:05:13] Recruitment process • Leaving Occidental for University of the Pacific (UOP) • UOP to UC Santa Barbara • Move to Stanford and first year • Recruiting at Stanford versus other schools [01:05:14-01:33:28] Rise of Stanford sports in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s • Water polo culture and history at Stanford • Vision for Stanford water polo when he first arrived • His favorite team from 1983-86 • Accomplishments of former players • Depth of Stanford athletic teams • Relationship with the Admissions Office [01:33:29-02:04:38] Departmental financial difficulties in the 1990s; Stanford Water Polo Foundation • Impactful coaching colleagues at Stanford • How he would change his methods if he were coaching now: more positive reinforcement and fewer drills • Emphasis on the counterattack, being in good shape, and speed • Inspiration from Steve Kerr and convincing players to work as a team instead of just for themselves • Reflection on the three athletic directors during his tenure: Joe Ruetz, Andy Geiger, and Ted Leland Part 2 [00:00-33:03] Beginning of Title IX implementation at Stanford under AD Joe Ruetz and Pam Straithairn • Impact of Title IX on minor men’s sports; impact of football; Stanford’s approach of adding more women’s teams • Reflections on financing athletics at Stanford, including role alumni and trend toward endowed scholarships • Evolution and success of women’s sports at Stanford • Women’s water polo • Influx of international players in US collegiate water polo; water polo club system internationally versus US collegiate system [33:04-58:45] Working with Stanford’s athletic directors; up and down status of water polo • Different treatment and responsibilities of coaches of minor sports • Need to fundraise for team; Stanford Water Polo Foundation; support of Avery family and alumni • Balancing teaching and managing the pool while coaching • Increasing administrative responsibilities over time, including NCAA and conference rules • Interacting with faculty, faculty athletic representatives, and staff • Stanford’s 2020 decision to cut 11 sports; reversal of decision due to support from alumni [58:46-01:30:00] High and low points of 25 years at Stanford • The secrets to Stanford’s athletic success: resources and the perception of strength that comes with winning teams and impact on recruiting • Thoughts on relationships and interactions among Stanford coaches • Andy Geiger’s transformative impact on athletic facilities and funding; Geiger’s hiring acumen • Role of Stanford’s athletic directors in success • Discussion of coaching at Stanford [01:30:01-02:10:28] How staff, faculty, and students contributed to Stanford athletics success; role of sports in Stanford culture • Support from senior university leaders; story of Condi Rice helping to recruit Tony Azevedo • Influence and support from parent and alumni boosters • Reflections on the NCAA and PAC-10 / PAC-12 athletic conference • Discussion of values, norms, and symbols that have guided Stanford athletics; importance of team culture and working together as a unit • Opinion on paying college athletes and outside sponsorships
Description
| Type of resource | moving image, sound recording-nonmusical, text |
|---|---|
| Extent | 2 video files; 2 audio files; 1 text file |
| Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
| Date created | November 19, 2021 - 2021-12-10 |
| Language | English |
| Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
| Interviewee | Dettamanti, Dante | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Dettamanti, Dante | |
| Interviewer | Porras, Jerry | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | Dettamanti, Dante |
|---|---|
| Subject | College sports |
| Subject | Stanford University. Department of Athletics |
| Subject | United States. Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX |
| Subject | Water polo coaches |
| Subject | Water polo |
| Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
| Biographical Profile | Coach Dettamanti has produced winning and championship water polo teams at all levels, including high school, college, club and International. In 25 years at Stanford, his teams played in the NCAA Championship final game a total of 14 times, producing eight NCAA Championships and six second-place finishes. In his first 10 years as Stanford head coach, his teams won 5 NCAA Championships, placed second 2-times, and third 2-times, a total of 9 out of 10 top three NCAA finishes. He became only the second collegiate coach in NCAA history to record over 600 career wins, and the only collegiate coach to win NCAA Championships in four different decades, the 70’s, 80’s 90’s, and 2000’s. His eight National championships tie the NCAA record for the most in NCAA history. Other NCAA records include a .800 career winning percentage at Stanford, a 52 game undefeated streak over a three-year period in the 80’s, and the only collegiate team with two undefeated seasons (28-0 in 1981 and 36-0 in 1985) and three back to back Championship seasons (80-81, 85-86, 93-94). He has been named NCAA “Coach of the Year” eight different times and League “Coach of the Year” ten times. 14 of his players have gone on to play or coach for the USA Olympic Team, including multiple Olympic team standouts Jody Campbell (1980, 84, 88), Wolf Wigo (1996, 2000, 2004), Layne Beaubien (2004, 2008, 2012), Tony Azevedo (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), Craig Klass (1988, 1992), Erich Fischer (1988), Greg Boyer (1988), Rick McNair (1996), Jeremy Lasiter (1996), Doug Burke (1980, 1984), John Tanner- Asst Coach 1992 and 1996, Peter Hudnut (2008), Allan Mouchawar (1988), James Bergeson (1988). Inducted into the 2002 United States Water Polo Hall of Fame, the 2003 Stanford University Athletic Hall of Fame, the 2014 University Of California, Davis Hall of Fame Legacy Award, and the Occidental College Aquatic Hall of Fame. Since his retirement in 2002, he has written three water polo books and coaches manuals and presented numerous coaches clinics and seminars around the world. |
|---|---|
| Transcript |
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| Finding Aid | |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/hn397wj3831 |
| Location | SC0932 |
| Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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