LA VERNE, Calif. — After serving as assistant coaches for two years under William Rodriguez, Mason Cox and Erika Vargas '12, '16 have been tabbed as interim head coaches for the La Verne water polo teams, athletic director Julie Kline announced on Monday. Cox will head the men's team and Vargas will take charge of women's team.

Both were intimately involved in recruiting and coaching for the Leopards and will be responsible for building on the momentum created by Rodriguez, who accepted the Director of Aquatics position at West Valley College in Saratoga, California.

Being familiar with the Leopards' programs and having had active hands in the some of the best stretch of water polo in the history of the programs give the duo a head start, one that Kline believes will keep the ball rolling.

"Mason and Erika were a natural choice for us at this time," Kline said. "They have two years of experience recruiting to La Verne's academic and athletic standards, they have developed good relationships with our current student-athletes and they have been team players in the department as graduate assistants."

Cox is a Placentia native and was a standout at NCAA Division I powerhouse Cal. During his tenure with the Golden Bears from 2009-12, Cox scored 33 goals in 67 matches.

Vargas, a Mira Loma native, starred at La Verne from 2010-11, playing as a center for the women's team. She graduated with a bachelor's in Criminology in 2012 and just recently earned an MBA from La Verne this spring.

The women's team came within a match of clamining the 2016 SCIAC championship and looks to get over the final hump in 2017. The men are looking to improve on last year's 8-20 overall record and a 4-8 seventh place finish in the SCIAC.