Vanguard University

Coach Carrera was named the university's first director of aquatics at Vanguard in July 2011. Establishing VU's first men's and women's water polo programs during the 2010-11 school year, Carrera now adds the responsibility for the men's and women's swimming programs under his umbrella of leadersship. However, with Carrera's extensive aquatics background, the Lions' new director of aquatics should transition well into his first season leading the men's and women's swimming program at Vanguard. With the benefit and convenience of several of the aquatic athletes competing in both the slightly-overlapping swimming and water polo teams, Carrera will play a crucial role in the restructuring process of the aquatics program. Although he is responsible for all aspects of all four teams, Carrera will have an assistant coach for water polo and swimming.

VU's second-year coach officially made his collegiate head coaching debut with VU's first-ever men's water polo games in the fall of 2010 and women's water polo contests in the spring of 2011, adding an interesting and new flavor to Vanguard athletics and the VU student body.

Carrera came to Vanguard from Irvine's Concordia University where he was the assistant men and women's water polo coach and Northwood High School. In 2007 Carrera was named the NHS Head Water Polo coach and helped lead the Timberwolves to a CIF Finals runner-up placing, guiding the Northwood Timberwolves to a CIF playoff berth for boys and girls every year he was there. Carrera started his coaching career as an assistant coach for Water Polo and Swimming at Woodbridge High School under Alex Abishier and Tom Norton, and later became the head coach at WHS.

Carrera's aquatic experience began at the early age swimming with Irvine Novaquatics. Receiving stellar coaching from local programs, Carrera developed into a skilled swimmer which he translated into a highly successful high school career in swimming and eventually water polo. After graduation Carrera capitalized on his water polo talents at Saddleback College and Chapman University. The All-Conference selection then seized his opportunity to go to Argentina and play for Club Gremio as well as train with the Argentinean Jr. National Team. He played two seasons in Argentina before returning to the USA to move into the coaching side of the sport. He has maintained his international water polo contacts and continues to compete as well as coach. In 2008, Carrera played on the North Irvine Premier League Division II and placed fifth in the Masters Nationals USA Water Polo under 40 division.