In her fifth year at the helm of the University of California women's swim team, Teri McKeever is steadily building the Golden Bear program by emphasizing a balance between athletics and academics. For the second year in a row, McKeever has brought in a large and talented freshman class that is considered one of the nation's top recruiting classes. She has also coached five academic All-Americans during her tenure. Combining this year's freshman class with a strong nucleus of returners, McKeever is building a foundation for the Golden Bear program that will assure success in the years to come.
Last season was a perfect example of McKeever's development of the Cal program, as the Bears improved their dual meet record from 7-7 in 1995 to 9-5 in 1996. Cal also jumped from 28th to 17th in the NCAA Championships, the biggest improvement of any program in the country and every returner from last season has had at least three lifetime-best marks while competing for the Bears.
McKeever has helped produce 14 All-Americans and three school records have been established in her four years at Cal. Eighteen different swimmers have broken into the school's all-time Top 10 list and the team has been named to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Academic All-America Team all eight semesters she has been coach.
McKeever, 34, came to Cal after spending five years at Fresno State where she developed a reputation as one of the finest young coaches in college swimming. McKeever started at Fresno State in 1987 and spent two seasons in charge of the women's program before assuming the dual role of men's and women's head coach from 1990-92.
In 1992, she was named the Big West Conference Women's Coach of the Year after leading the women's team to a 12-3 dual meet record and finishing fourth in the conference championships, the highest conference finish in Fresno State history.
McKeever also has a Pacific-10 Conference background, both as an athlete and as a coach. She worked as an assistant swim coach at USC from 1984 to '87, helping develop several All-Americans. McKeever is a former USC All-America swimmer herself, competing in the NCAA meet all four years while at USC and helping the Trojans to four consecutive NCAA Top-10 finishes. She earned All-America honors in both 1980 and '81. As a senior in 1983, McKeever was named USC's Outstanding Student-Athlete.
McKeever graduated from USC in 1983 with a B.S. in education, with two teaching credentials (multiple subject, secondary life science). In 1987, she earned a Masters in athletic administration from Southern California. McKeever's father, Mike, was an All-American lineman for the USC football team in 1959.
McKeever is single and resides in Hercules.
McKeever's Cal Dual Meet Record
1992 6-3
1993 6-6
1994 7-7
1995 9-5
Total 28-21
