Stanford men’s water polo head coach under investigation for the second time

Stanford men’s water polo head coach Brian Flacks is being investigated by the University for retaliation against some of his players. Flacks—who just completed his third season as head coach of the team—was put under investigation last fall after parents raised concerns about Flacks being abusive towards the team.

According to emails obtained by the Southern California News Group, at least 10 players who complied in that investigation reported Flacks for his alleged retaliation towards them.

The team is being represented by the Justice Law Collaborative, which is the same firm that represented Stanford women’s soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer’s family after she died in 2022. The firm is raising concerns about the mental and emotional health of the players. Multiple players have reportedly had to enter therapy after their poor treatment and have reported experiencing panic attacks and suffering from depression.

In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle, a spokesperson for Flacks said, “Brian Flacks is an esteemed water polo coach with an impeccable reputation earned during multiple seasons and levels of competition. In response to the first such accusations of his career and after a four month independent investigation by an outside law firm, Stanford found absolutely no wrongdoing by Flacks. He has been fully exonerated and this matter is appropriately closed. Any allegations of retaliation against players are as preposterous as they are false. It is unfortunate that such a false cloud should continue to hang over both the coach and Stanford as they both deserve better. Flacks will continue his dedication to work with Stanford and its elite athletes to maintain a supportive culture, compete tirelessly, and help student athletes excel.”

These allegations come after Stanford football head coach, Troy Taylor was fired last month for mistreatment of his staff.

In response to a request for comment, Stanford said, “Stanford University takes concerns of retaliation seriously, and we have a policy specifically prohibiting retaliation against individuals who in good faith report or provide information during an investigation. Stanford also investigates allegations of retaliation.”

This story is ongoing and will be updated.

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