Since she first arrived on the Cal campus as the Golden Bears' new women's swimming & diving head coach in 1992, Teri McKeever has built a legacy as one of the most successful and innovative leaders ever in the sport. Yet despite a long list of accolades and accomplishments, she has shied away from personal attention, preferring instead to let her student-athletes' achievements take center stage.
 
On Saturday, following Cal's 9 a.m. dual meet with North Carolina State at Legends Aquatic Center, McKeever will most certainly move into the spotlight as members of the current team, alumnae and friends of the program will celebrate her 25 years as head coach in Berkeley.
 
"There are few people in my life who have had as much of an influence on me as Teri," said Caitlin Smith, a 2012 Olympic medalist and the 2012 Pac-12 and CSCAA National Swimmer of the Year. "While I am very proud of the medals and trophies that Teri helped me to achieve, the impression she had on my life is so much more than these fleeting accolades. Teri helped me to learn truly lifelong lessons, including self-realization and confidence, and an ability to take risks and embrace failure as an opportunity to grow. I am no longer coached by her on a daily basis, but her teachings and inspiration are still embedded in my daily life."
 
Smith touches on a common theme among current Golden Bears and alumnae alike – McKeever's care about student-athletes outside of the pool as a trait that sets her apart as a mentor.
 
"Teri is someone who understands the balance of your personal life and your swimming," said Dana Vollmer, a seven-time Olympic medalist who continues to train with McKeever nearly a decade after completing her collegiate career. "It's about becoming a strong young lady here at Cal in combination with having the best performance that you can in the pool."
 
Added Rachel Bootsma, a three-time NCAA champion in the 100-yard backstroke and an Olympic medalist from the 2012 Games: "One of the things I love about Teri is one of the first things I noticed when I was being recruited - she was recruiting me as a person, not just my times and my name on a piece of paper. She really cared about who I was, who my family was, where I came from, and that was really special to me. She really approaches it as making the whole swimmer a better person. Obviously, I want my times to get better, but also I want to grow mentally, emotionally and socially, and I want to be able to perform in the classroom and in the pool."
 
Junior Kathleen Baker, the 2017 CSCAA National Swimmer of the Year and multi-time Olympics and World Championships medalist, put it succinctly: "I like that Teri really cares about you as a person, not only as just a swimmer. She helps you grow in all aspects of life."
 
Such an approach has created clear dividends for McKeever and her teams. The Golden Bears have won four NCAA Championships since 2009 and have placed among the top three at the national meet nine years in a row – the longest current streak in the country. Other numbers for the seven-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year are just as impressive, as she has produced:

• 8 CSCAA National Swimmers of the Year
• 9 Pac-12 Swimmers of the Year
• 50 CSCAA All-American Scholars
• 114 Pac-12 All-Academic selections
• 27 Olympians

Notably, McKeever has been a trailblazer on the national and international levels. In 2012, she became the first woman to serve has head coach of the U.S. Olympic team when she led the American women's swimmers in London. McKeever was head U.S. women's coach at the 2006 and 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, and she has been an assistant for the World Championships team six times and for the Olympic team twice.
 
On Thursday night, McKeever will be inducted into the Fresno Hall of Fame, an honor presented for her term as head men's and women's coach at Fresno State before she made the move to Cal. She is also a member of the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Breitbard Hall of Fame at the San Diego Hall of Champions.
 
"My time working with Teri has been incredible," said former swimmer Rachael Acker, the 2016 Pac-12 Woman of the Year and a three-time Academic All-American. "She has created a supportive environment that strives for excellence in all areas. I couldn't have asked for a more supportive and compassionate coach."
 
The 25-year milestone is just another step in her career, as McKeever shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.