Cal and head women’s swimming coach Teri McKeever have agreed to a contract extension through the 2023-24 season, the school announced Monday.
McKeever, 58, is in her 28th season in Berkeley. The Bears are currently riding a streak of 11 straight top-three finishes at NCAAs and have won four national titles under McKeever (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015).
“Teri McKeever is an iconic coach with an international reputation that is second to none,” Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. “As much as she develops student-athletes to reach their potential in the pool, Teri also cares deeply about them as individuals and works just as hard to ensure they graduate from Cal prepared to be leaders in their post-collegiate careers. We look forward to having Teri lead our program for years to come.”
After guiding Cal to a close second-place finish behind Stanford last March, McKeever was named CSCAA National Coach of the Year, and she also won Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
“I’d like to thank Jim Knowlton and our administration for their enduring support of women’s swimming & diving,” McKeever said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished as a program and am looking forward to continuing our level of success. While we have been able to accomplish a lot during my time at Cal, there is much more that lies ahead, and I am excited for our future.”
The first — and still only — female head coach of a U.S. Olympic swim team, McKeever has coached 26 Olympians who have won 36 medals. She is also a two-time head coach for the U.S. at Pan Pacs, and she has been an assistant coach at the world championships seven times, including last summer. McKeever’s new deal keeps her in Berkeley through the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A number of assistant coaches have worked under McKeever at Cal. Ahead of the current season, she brought in former MIT men’s and women’s head coach Dani Korman after Sarah Dunleavy stepped down to leave the sport after two seasons.
Congratulations Teri! Our sport is so lucky to have you!
Seems like only yesterday that these boards were filled with comments about all the swimmers she “ruined.”