Move hints Cal swim coach may not return
By Nanette Asimov
Cal men’s swim coach David Durden will oversee the women’s team, too, as incumbent coach Teri McKeever faces allegations that she bullied team members.
In a move suggesting that the head coach of the UC Berkeley women’s swim team may not return from paid leave amid an investigation into alleged bullying, Cal officials said Wednesday that they have appointed an acting director to oversee both the women’s and men’s swim programs.
David Durden, head coach of the men’s swimming and diving program for 15 years, will oversee both programs, while David Marsh will become associate head coach of the women’s swim program, the university announced.
Cal officials did not respond to a request for comment about the status of Teri McKeever, who was placed on leave in May following accusations from more than two dozen people of bullying behavior so toxic that several swimmers considered suicide over the years, while others quit the team. Current and former swimmers have accused her of verbal, emotional, homophobic and racially charged attacks.
The McKeever story was first reported in May by the Orange County Register, which interviewed 19 current and former Cal swimmers, six parents and a former Cal men’s swimmer. Together, they painted a picture of a university that repeatedly ignored or dealt only mildly with numerous complaints about McKeever since at least 2014.
Wednesday’s announcement made no mention of McKeever, who has declined to comment and hired a lawyer.
As of Thursday, McKeever’s UC Berkeley web page still listed her as head coach of the women’s swim team. Her career at Cal has spanned three decades and also included several stints coaching the U.S. Olympic women’s swim team.
Durden has won five NCAA men’s championships at Cal, including leading the team to the most recent title in March.
“Our men and women have been working together this summer and it has allowed my mind to think about all of the possibilities as we charge towards Paris 2024,” Durden said, referring to the next summer Olympics in Paris.
Marsh, the new second-in-command of the women’s swim team, joined the men’s coaching staff in February and “produced instant results,” according to his biography on Cal’s website. The team won its fifth consecutive Pac-12 team championship in early March, before achieving its seventh NCAA championship.
Matt Bowe, who joined the men’s swim team as assistant coach in late May, is that team’s new associate head coach. He held a similar role at Ohio State before arriving at Cal.
Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov