HONOLULU — University of Hawai'i women's water polo coach James Robinson completed the Rainbow Wahine coaching staff for the 2026 season with the addition of Brooke Maxson as an assistant coach.

Maxson will join the UH staff after spending the last two seasons at UCLA, where she helped the Bruins capture the 2024 national championship as an assistant coach.

"Brooke has had a positive impact on every team she's been a part of, whether as a student-athlete or as a coach," Robinson said. "She has experience at every level and I know that experience will be a huge benefit to our program. I'm very excited to have her on our staff. Her water polo knowledge is great and I know she will form excellent relationships with our student-athletes."

Maxson joins Robinson and associate coach Candice Vorbeck in leading the Rainbow Wahine into the 2026 season. The 'Bows went 22-5 this season, sweeping the Big West regular-season and tournament titles and advancing to the national semifinals in Robinson's first year as head coach.

"Thank you to the University of Hawai'i Athletics Department and James for this opportunity," Maxson said. "I am excited to support and learn from this talented group of athletes. It is an honor to be part of this program and I cannot wait to get started."

Originally from Santa Ana, Calif., Maxson played five seasons at UCLA from 2017 to '21 and earned ACWPC All-America and All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation recognition in 2019, '20 and '21 as a defender with the Bruins. She helped UCLA reach the 2021 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship final and posted a hat trick in a semifinal win over Stanford on her way to a spot on the All-Tournament first team. In all, she played in 98 games and finished her UCLA career with 46 goals, 30 steals, 29 assists and 27 field blocks.

Maxson began her coaching career in 2021 at Golden West College where she served as an assistant coach with the women's water polo and swimming and diving programs for two years. She spent 2023 teaching English at a high school in Madrid, Spain before returning to UCLA in 2024. The Bruins went 46-6 in her two seasons on the coaching staff, including an undefeated run to the 2024 national title.

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