Long Beach Poly has hired boys’ water polo coach Ish Pluton to be its next boys’ swimming coach, the school confirmed. Pluton has been the head coach of the school’s boys’ water polo team for the last six years, and won a CIF-SS championship this Fall. Pluton, a 2011 Poly grad, is replacing Eddie Kim after a successful ten-year tenure.
“He’s a Jackrabbit and he’s grown our water polo program, he was a natural fit to take over swimming as well,” said Poly boys’ athletic director Rob Shock.
Pluton said that because Kim had announced early this Spring that his 10th season would be his last, he’d been thinking about adding the swim team for months; Pluton has been an assistant coach for the swim team for several seasons. Kim departed to further his career as a professional sports agent.
“It’s been a dream of mine, I’m now officially in my dream job coaching both teams and teaching at Poly,” said Pluton. “It’s a labor of love but I love working hard and showing up for the kids. Eddie is leaving big shoes to fill, he beat Wilson twice in dual meets, that’s a tough act to follow.”
Wilson has won the last 49 Moore League championships, a state record for the longest league title streak in California history–in that time, Kim’s two dual meet wins over Wilson are their only league losses. In both years, however, the Bruins were able to rally and win the league title at Moore League Finals.
The upcoming school year, with Poly returning most of their points from last year and Wilson looking to replace several key graduating seniors, could be the most vulnerable Wilson’s historic streak has been.
“It is everyone’s goal, top to bottom, to not let it be an actual half century,” Pluton said with a laugh. “We want to end that streak at 49, that is foremost on literally everyone in boys’ aquatics at Poly, past, present or future. That’s the mission for the swim season.”
