Steven Barnett

Steven William Barnett (born June 6, 1943) is a retired water polo player from the United States, who competed for California State University Long Beach and participated in two consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country, with his first Olympics at Mexico City in 1968 where the U.S. Water Polo team placed fifth. Playing goalkeeper, Barnett helped the U.S. Team win their first U.S. bronze medal in the Men's Water Polo Team Competition since 1932 with the Men's National Team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. He would later teach High School and coach water polo at Lynbrook High School in San Jose.

Barnett was born June 6, 1943, and attended Camden High School in San Jose, California where he was on the swimming team from 1957-1960 and was coached by Al Worrell, but did not play water polo for the school, as they did not have a team. He later attended California State University at Long Beach, then known as Long Beach State from 1963-1965 where he played for Jim Shultz. Barnett was All-State at Long Beach, and helped the water polo team to a season record of 31-8 during his playing tenure.

Coaching Barnett coached swimming and water polo at Lynbrook High School in San Jose beginning in 1968, and continuing through at least 1987.

Honors In 1982, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame. He became a member of the Long Beach State Hall of Fame in 1992. As a water polo player, he won the James W. Lee Award.