When Andy Hofmann joined the the water polo team his freshman year of high school, he never imagined himself becoming the captain, let alone the coach. However, after graduating from Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 2014, he has returned as the team’s head coach.

“I’m so excited that Andy is our coach,” sophomore Jenna Weissman said. “He’s very nice and knowledgeable about the game. He makes us all feel welcome and comfortable.”

Last year’s returners, along with prospective new players, met in the peer counseling room Nov. 29 at 2:50 p.m. to welcome Hofmann and to discuss plans for the upcoming season.

“I’m excited to be your coach,” Hoffman said at the Nov. 29 meeting. “I think it’s going to be a great season. I don’t like losing, but I know how to do it. I know how to win too.”

The position is a step up for Hofmann who was the assistant coach for the past two seasons of both the water polo and swim teams. Peer counseling teacher Lauren Rubenstein, who was the previous coach, stepped down from the position last year at the team’s end-of-season banquet.

“It’s going to be weird without Coach Rubinstein, but I think Coach Andy will fill her shoes just fine and bring the team home a championship,” Sadar said.

Though she is no longer the head coach, Rubenstein has agreed to help Hofmann with the administrative aspects of head coaching and to continue supporting the team.

“Coach Andy will be a great head coach for our team because he played with the majority of us ,and he knows how we work together,” women’s team captain Connie Sadar said. “He played for Douglas or four years and was an all-star player, so he’s going to teach the team a lot.”

Already, Hofmann has promised to take the team in a new direction with his focus on building up strength and stamina for players through intense dry land conditioning. With conditioning beginning Nov. 30, Hoffman has little over a month to prepare the team for the upcoming season.