#30MostSwimfluential: Teri McKeever

Who is Teri McKeever?

Swam competitively for the University of Southern California from 1980-1983.
Graduated from USC in ’83 with a BS in education and also earned a master’s degree in athletic administration in 1987.
Head coach for the women’s team at Cal Berkeley since the fall of 1992.
First woman to coach a national championship team in women’s swimming and diving.
First woman to be a member of the coaching staff of the US Olympic swim team.
Women’s Olympic Team assistant in 2008
Head coach of the US women’s swim team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Coached four national championship teams at Cal.
Coached three women to NCAA swimmer of the year.
Three-time NCAA Coach of the Year
A member of the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame
Coached more than 20 Olympians

How has she influenced the swimming community?

Teri McKeever is a pioneer in the swimming world. She broke gender barriers when she became the first woman to coach a national championship team in women’s swimming in 2009. She also made history by being the first woman coach on the Olympic Team when she was a women’s assistant in 2008. She has been at the helm of the women’s team at California since 1992 and has not placed below fifth at the NCAA meet since 2005. She stresses that her athletes are great role models out of the pool along with being great swimmers in the pool. Her fearlessness to lead in a male-dominated profession is what makes her so respected in the swimming community.

*USA Swimming and Speedo invited the swimming community to help celebrate their 30 years of partnership by voting for the “30 Most Influential People in Swimming Over the Past 30 Years.” Votes were cast through social media with the hashtag #30MostSwimfluential and the final vote came from a panel of 10 judges selected by USA Swimming and Speedo. All 30 nominees have had a powerful impact on the swimming community. Many are recognizable names, but some have remained unsung heroes of the sport. Swimming World will profile each swimfluential person over the course of the week.

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