Cal Women’s Assistant Coach Sarah Dunleavy Leaving Swimming

Cal women’s swimming assistant coach Sarah Dunleavy is leaving her position to pursue interests outside of swimming, the school told SwimSwam Friday.

“While this profession has been such a rewarding experience, I am excited for a new chapter ahead,” Dunleavy said. “There are too many people to thank who have been instrumental in my life through my coaching journey, and I would like to point out a few.”

“First, I would like to thank Teri for an incredible two years. She has been a phenomenal mentor. The hardest part of saying goodbye coaching right now is leaving such a special team and walking away from working with such a special woman. It is comforting to know that Teri and I will have a lasting relationship that extends far beyond swimming. I am grateful for her being by my side and for supporting me through this decision.”

“Furthermore, I would like to thank the amazing group of young women I have worked with at Cal for allowing me to be a part of their lives over the past two years. I look forward to following their future successes as student-athletes, and as they move on to even greater things. I have been blessed to work with so many fantastic young men and women over the years, and they have all left lasting impressions on me.”

Dunleavy worked under McKeever for the past two seasons and swam collegiately at Purdue. Prior to Cal, she assisted in various capacities at Illinois, Kentucky, and Pitt. Prior to Dunleavy, Ian Walsh was McKeever’s assistant for one season before stepping down.

McKeever, 57, is the most accomplished female swim coach in history, and just finished her 28th season at Cal.

The Cal assistant vacancy adds to the growing list of high-profile Division I positions to open up this offseason, including a number in the Pac-12; more than 10 head coaching spots are available overall. In the Pac-12, Stanford is seeking a head men’s coach after Ted Knapp stepped down last month, and Arizona will have to fill assistant positions in the absence of Cory Chitwood and Beth Botsford, as SwimSwam reported last week. Also on the high-profile assistant front, Indiana will seek new hires for the positions vacated by sprint coaches Coley Stickels and Kirk Grand.

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Joel Greenwald
4 years ago

Dani Korman was just hired as an assistant coach for the CAL women.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Mary Frances Wagley ’47 Head Coach Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving/PE and Wellness Instructor

MaverickSwimmer
4 years ago

I bet the salary differential between an Assistant Coach and a Head Coach is huge. Not to mention that he salary is probably way below the poverty line for the Bay Area. Considering the amount of time assistants spend with the program they are probably making below minimum wage.

Admin
Reply to  MaverickSwimmer
4 years ago

Like most public university coaches, salaries of swim coaches at Cal are a matter of public record. The state of California hasn’t published 2018 salaries yet, and since Sarah was hired midway through 2017 we don’t know her exact salary. We do know that her predecessor, Ian Walsh, made $78371 in “base pay” and $106,571 in “gross pay” via money coming directly from the athletics department.

In San Franisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties, the latest estimate puts $117,400 per year for a family of four as “low income” (not poverty). As a family of 1, that’s definitely not “below the poverty line for the Bay Area.”

CalFanatic
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

That is spread over a year and a half isn’t it? Can’t see an assistant at a single sex program making 6 figures…

Obear73
Reply to  CalFanatic
4 years ago

Agree about the 6 figures. Went to the similar database & found Ian’s 2017 salary as 45,643 base salary and 19,000 other compensation for a gross salary of 64,643. Doable maybe in the Richmond or some parts of Oakland but not San Francisco, San Mateo, or Marin area.

Admin
Reply to  Obear73
4 years ago

Obear73 – you went to the same database. Coaches’ contracts usually run June-June, so you’re only seeing half the math if you look at 2017 for Ian, because he left in the summer.

Here’s another example that should verify that Cal assistants can make 6 figures in “Total Pay”: Kristen Cunnane, who stayed for a full calendar year: https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/search/?q=Kristen+Cunnane

In 2014, she made 61,050 in “regular pay,” another 40,000 in “other pay,” and 27k in benefits.

Admin
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Here’s Yuri’s pay history at Cal: in 2017 he cleared $108,817 in total pay & benefits; $92,000 in total pay, 16817 in total benefits: https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/search/?q=Yuri+Suguiyama&y=

dmswim
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

I wouldn’t say Yuri cleared $108,817 because that included benefits. He can use the money that goes towards his employer contribution to his health insurance to pay rent.

MAVERICKSWIMMER
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

HI Braden – very interesting. From the examples you provided we have the following: Ian Walsh (Male) Head Coach at Marshall, Yuri Sugiyama (Male) Head Coach at Wisconsin. Kristen Cunnane (Female) Left Swimming, Sarah Dunleavy (Female) left swimming.

Getting back to my salary post, the base salaries for all of them are at $60K-$70K. McKeever’s base during this time $140K-$180K. Other Pay may have been from Bonus (You can’t rely on this every year) or doing additional work (perhaps CAL Swim Clinics?) on top of their normal duties to bring in some extra $$. Assistants are operating at all hours of the day and night (making recruiting calls all over the world). So for the amount of hours they… Read more »

Meat
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

What’s it for non power 5? D2? D3?

Yooz
4 years ago

Cal has been flying through assistants as of late

Swamfan
Reply to  Yooz
4 years ago

The departure of Ian Walsh after one year was odd, but the assistant before Walsh , Kristin Cunane, Left coaching because being a mom to young kids & coaching swimming at an elite NCAA program was too much. It appears the same thing may be going on with Dunleavy.
It’s admirable of McKeever to hire female assistants but doing so also means the program is likely to have a lower retention rate on assistant coaches.
FWIW in the novel “Golden Girl” about Coughlin’s transformation & success under McKeever, McKeever essentially admitted she had to give up having a family in order to coach swimming at an elite level.

marklewis
4 years ago

She wants to get out of swimming and do something else (a new chapter).

Perhaps she was bored, wanted to make more money, live a different schedule and lifestyle. She doesn’t say in her statement.

She probably doesn’t want to offend anyone or leave on a sour note.

2weeksNotice
4 years ago

Catching the trend? Females in their late 20’s/early 30’s leaving the sport. The trend continues. Sarah is an amazing coach and person. She will be deeply missed not only by Cal, but by the entire swimming community. She’s poured so much of herself in to every position she has held. Best wishes Sarah on new endeavors in your life. Great things ahead for you!

Apso
Reply to  2weeksNotice
4 years ago

The NCAA has a female coach retention problem.

Snarky
Reply to  Apso
4 years ago

Swimming has a female coaching retention problem! And don’t anyone blame it on women wanting to have families. It’s bigger than that.

Apso
Reply to  Snarky
4 years ago

Couldn’t agree more.

2WEEKSNOTICE
Reply to  Snarky
4 years ago

Well that’s usually a part of it, not all of it, but a part of it that can’t be denied. It’s really difficult to have kids and coach at a Power 5 level. Especially with all the new recruiting rules that leave zero time off. Hence the number of women at a Power 5 conference school that have kids – it’s minimal. The Big Ten for example has two women coaches (I could be wrong) with kids (both at Minnesota). One has kids grown and beyond college age. The other has younger kids.

Coach Klier
Reply to  Snarky
4 years ago

I have been coaching for over 50 yrs. still going strong. I have 7 female coaches on my staff and
4 males! I am also female! Does this tell u something???

Apso
Reply to  Coach Klier
4 years ago

That you’re one of the fortunate ones, maybe? And probably that you don’t coach at the D1 collegiate level.

2WEEKSNOTICE
Reply to  Coach Klier
4 years ago

Which Power 5 school do you work at that allows 12 coaches on staff?

Admin
Reply to  2WEEKSNOTICE
4 years ago

Coach Klier is the director/head coach at the KC Swim Academy in Kansas City.

DrSwimPhil
Reply to  2WEEKSNOTICE
4 years ago

Why is there this assumption that it’s “harder” at the P5 level? Do the “lower” levels not work as hard or as long? I’d argue that they could work longer/harder (due to lack of income, and having to supplement that with either club duties, swim lessons, outside sources, etc).

Hank
Reply to  Coach Klier
4 years ago

Outliers are thrown out when conducting research. Your a great example of what to want to achieve but that does not give an accurate picture of the collegiate and overall swim world.

Hank
Reply to  2weeksNotice
4 years ago

I’m glad someone mentioned this. While many have said women have an edge on men in the sport it’s actually a false narrative. Women and men are not equal in this sport as a profession and far from. For example, power 5 combined program, women have one position to apply for and that is an assistant role. In a split program, a women could potentially fill the head or assistant role on the womens side, but men have a shot at all four positions.

If I were a female I would see this as a dead end career where few can make it to a pay check and lifestyle that is worth it.

NONA
4 years ago

Best of luck to her. All that experience of learning under Teri and working with elite swimmers is now lost to our sport. That’s a bummer.

jewelindapool
4 years ago

Sad to see Sarah go. She was a great fit for the Team and Teri. Best wishes to Sarah and her future endeavors.

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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