McKeever, Busch Tabbed as Pan-Pac Coaches

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., December 20. TERI McKeever (El Cerrito, Calif./Cal-Berkeley) and Frank Busch (Tucson, Ariz./Arizona) will serve as the United States head coaches for the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships, scheduled for Aug. 17-20 in Vancouver, Canada. McKeever’s assignment is historical as she is the first female appointed to a head coach post of a major international squad.

No woman has ever filled a head coaching position at the Olympics, World Championships or Pan Pacific Championships. However, in 2004, McKeever was the first woman to serve on a U.S. Olympic coaching staff in the capacity of women’s assistant coach. McKeever will lead the U.S. women’s team in Vancouver. Busch will head the men’s team for the second time – he was the Pan Pacific men’s head coach in 1997.

“USA Swimming is fortunate to have Coach McKeever and Coach Busch leading this team at a competition that will be an important barometer of our progress toward Beijing,” said Everett Uchiyama, USA Swimming National Team Director. “They both have had great success with their programs recently and bring significant international experience to the appointment. We are looking forward to intense competition at the Pan Pacific Championships next summer. This competition has a tradition of outstanding racing, and being so close to home will add an extra level of excitement for our athletes.”

The team that will compete at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships will be selected at the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, Aug. 1-5 in Irvine, Calif. McKeever, who has been the women’s head coach at the University of California-Berkeley since 1993, previously served on the 2002 Pan Pacific coaching staff as a women’s assistant coach. She is also the personal coach of 2004 Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin.

“It’s a great honor to be the first female in this role, and I feel personally ready to challenge myself in that way,” McKeever said. “Every staff I’ve been on, I’ve really learned something, and I feel like this is the next step for me as a coaching professional. What I love about the sport is that you have to take risks and challenge yourself to get better, and this is the best opportunity for me to do something I’ve never done before.”

In addition to being the head coach in 1997, Busch was an assistant coach in 1995 and 1999. The head coach at the University of Arizona since 1989, he was a 2004 Olympic women’s assistant coach. He is also the personal coach of two-time Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard.

“It’s always an honor to represent the United States and coach some great athletes,” Busch said. “This meet in 2006 marks the halfway point to the next Olympics, but it’s still a long ways away. We want to take it one day at a time. With so many young kids trying to establish themselves, it’s going to be fun seeing some new faces.”

The Teri McKeever File
Coach: University of California-Berkeley

PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL TEAMS:
**2005 World Championships women’s assistant coach
**2004 Olympic women’s assistant coach
**2003 World Championships women's assistant coach
**2002 Pan Pacific Championships women's assistant coach
**2001 Goodwill Games women's assistant coach

COACHING EXPERIENCE:
**Women's Head Coach at Cal-Berkeley since 1993
**Previously coached at Fresno State (head coach) and Southern Cal (assistant coach)

MISCELLANEOUS:
**In 2004, was the first woman to serve on a U.S. Olympic coaching staff
**2002 ASCA Coach of the Year
**2002 National Collegiate Scholar and Swimming Trophy winner
**Two-time PAC-10 Coach of the Year
**Earned bachelor's and master's degree at USC
**All-American swimmer at USC
**Father (Mike) was an All-American lineman for the Trojans' football team in 1959
**Comes from a family of 10 children, all with varied athletic backgrounds
**Sisters (Kristi and Kelli Gannon) are both members of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team

The Frank Busch File
Coach: University of Arizona

PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL TEAMS:
**2005 World Championships women’s assistant coach
**2004 Olympic women’s assistant coach
**2003 World Championships assistant coach
**1999 Pan Pacific Championships women's assistant coach
**1998 World Championships assistant coach
**1997 Pan Pacific Championships men’s head coach
**1995 Pan Pacific Championships assistant coach
**1993 World University Games assistant coach

COACHING EXPERIENCE:
**Head Coach at Arizona since 1989
**Head Coach at University of Cincinnati (1980-89)
**Head Coach at Northern Kentucky (1974-78)
**Assistant Coach at Cincinnati Marlins (1979-80)

MISCELLANEOUS:
**2004 NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year
**1998 USA Swimming and USOC Coach of the Year
**1993 NCAA Coach of the Year
**Graduated from Loyola (Ill.) University in 1973
**He and his wife (Patty) have five children: Frank, an Arizona graduate and an attorney in Phoenix; Augie, an Arizona graduate and a current assistant swimming coach with the Cats; Peter, a former Arizona swimmer and now a reporter for Tucson's NBC affiliate, KVOA; Molly, an Arizona graduate working in Los Angeles; and Sam, a senior at Arizona

Teri McKeever - Head Shot

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