Mark Lawrence begins his second season as the MIT water polo coach, after posting a 10-15 overall record in his inaugural campaign. Prior to arriving in Cambridge, Lawrence accumulated 15 years of coaching and playing experience. In 2011, the Engineers finished fifth at the Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Association (CWPA) Northern Division championship and his team posted the highest cumulative GPA of any water polo squad in the country, across all divisions of the NCAA.
 
Lawrence spent two years as the club director and head coach of the Ohlone Renegades Water Polo Club in Fremont, California. While at Ohlone, Lawrence designed and implemented workout programs for the team, recruited athletes into the program, arranged team travel and worked with local high schools to develop interest and participation in water polo. He also served as the head coach of the Washington High School water polo team for two years.
 
On the international stage, Lawrence has worked as an assistant coach for the Kazakhstan women's national water polo squad. During the 2008-09 season he was a graduate assistant coach for the Arizona State women's team, a program that was consistently ranked among the top-10 that season.
 
Lawrence spent two seasons as a member of the water polo and swimming and diving teams at Queens College in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. where he helped the water polo squad to a Final Four appearance at the 2002 NCAA Championship. Prior to Queens College, Lawrence attended Ohlone Junior College in California where he earned all-conference and All-Northern California honors as well as being named team MVP and the Ohlone College Male Athlete of the Year. He has also been a member of the USA Northeast National Team and played professionally in Australia.
 
A native of Hayward, California, Lawrence completed his undergraduate course work at San Francisco State University in 2005, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.