Tim Settem enters his second season as head coach of the Pirates' Men's water polo team in 2014. Last season he led VC to a second place finish in the Western State Conference and led the team to its first playoff win since 2008, a 15-11 victory over Mt. San Antonio.

Settem, a former NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year award winner, came to VC after several coaching stops over the last 19 years. This year marks Settem's fourth stint with the Ventura College water polo programs, as he played under coach Larry Baratte in 1992 and 1993, earning All-Western State Conference honors both seasons. He was an assistant coach with the men's and women's teams for the 1999 season, and served as a volunteer assistant with the men's team in 2010 and 2012.

Settem brings a litany of success to the VC men's water polo program. He has been involved with the sports of water polo and swimming for 30 years, including his two years as a student athlete at Ventura College. His collegiate coaching experience includes stops at UC Santa Barbara, where he was an assistant for two seasons (2008, 2009), Pepperdine University, where he was a volunteer assistant with the men's team (2000, 2011), and at Claremont Mudd Scripts Colleges, where he directed both the men's and women's water polo teams for six years (2001-2006). While at CMS, Settem directed both programs to national prominence.

Settem led the CMS women to top-3 national rankings in four of his six seasons, and top-10 rankings in the other two. Claremont placed third nationally in 2003 and 2004 at the Women's Collegiate Division III National Championships and he led the 2006 women's team to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Athena's reached the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division III polls that season, and finished seventh in the NCAA Division III National Championships. He was named the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Coach of the Year. Additionally, Settem led the CMS men to top-10 rankings in all six of his seasons directing the Stags.

Settem also spent a season in Australia, coaching the Hunter Hurricanes Water Polo Club, a semi-professional club in Australia's National Water Polo League, in 2011. In that season he led them to tying their record for most wins in a season.

Settem has founded and/or coached various water polo clubs since 1999, directing groups in Ventura, Claremont, Santa Barbara, Moorpark, and currently in Thousand Oaks. He also continues active participation in the sport. Settem was a gold medalist at the US Water Polo Master's Nationals in 2004 and a silver medalist at the 2012 US Water Polo Master's Nationals.