Almost a year after former Cal head coach Teri McKeever was fired for bullying and harassment, the four-time NCAA champion was suspended Thursday by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for “emotional misconduct.”
The conditions of McKeever’s suspension are listed as “probation, no contact directive(s), education.” The length of the suspension was initially unknown as her sanctions do not yet appear on USA Swimming’s website. However, the OC Register reported that McKeever accepted a three-month suspension as part of an agreement where she admitted to emotionally and physically abusing Cal swimmers for more than 20 years. SafeSport’s investigation lasted 18 months.
Allegations about McKeever’s misconduct first surfaced last May, as numerous current and former Bears claimed that she had verbally and emotionally abused them. McKeever was then placed on paid leave by the university, and the school hired an independent law firm to investigate her. Eight months passed before she was finally fired in January.
In May, a group of 18 former Cal swimmers sued the University of California regents, alleging that officials prioritized athletic success over the well-being of athletes by ignoring McKeever’s bullying — and in certain cases, enabling it — for decades. The suit claimed that athletic director Jim Knowlton, senior executive associate athletic director Jennifer Simon-O’Neill and other school officials were aware that at that time “several swimmers were leaving the team after experiencing depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations.” Despite this, McKeever had her contract extended through 2023-24 in January 2020.
From March: Cal Implementing ‘Additional Steps’ After Firing Teri McKeever
McKeever, 61, served as the Cal women’s head coach from 1993-2022. She led the program to four NCAA titles and six Pac-12 titles while also working on three U.S. Olympic staffs. This included being named the head coach of the women’s team for the 2012 Games in London, making her the first and only female head coach of the U.S. Olympic swimming team.
Cal men’s coach Dave Durden received a six-figure raise to take over the women’s team as well in the wake of McKeever’s departure.
She will never coach a team again. Everyone will make sure of that.
A 3 month suspension is basically a token response so they can close the case.
Gee, they really tried to bury this. Thursday before a four-day weekend – for most people.
What constitutes emotional misconduct ?
So other coaches can get in line.
Coaching is becoming an impossibly tough job.
Coaches need to unlearn what they have learned in working with swimmers. Maybe they need to look how teachers at school deal with kids.
But, there will also be insane Parents expecting too much. They also ask coaches to push their child harder than others when they’re not training at the standard with skills required.
Coaches can’t win.
they can if they aren’t abusers
I am by no means defending the coach or the allegations levelled towards he coach.
Emotional abuse can be anything including putting a little heat on the swimmers when calling times in practice.
Oh yeah. Our education system is currently top notch. Oh wait.
“Maybe they need to look how teachers at school deal with kids.” – and the current school system in the US is so wonderfully successful. (sarcasm in case you missed it)
If emotional abuse is your go to motivational method, perhaps working with people isn’t for you.
What an absurd reply. The definition of what ’emotional abuse’ is required and the specifics of the allegation needs to be clarified here.
The era of abusive coaches is ending.
One by one, they are going to be purged from sports and have their names dragged through the mud in the process.
The Teri McKeever abuse story has sent shockwaves far and wide, as cliche as that sounds. If she has an ounce of decency, she should apologize to those she hurt.
And find something else to do with her life and stay out of swimming for good.
you keep being optimistic. It’s cute.
I don’t think it is a fine line between coaching for motivation and yelling to motivate. Yelling at swimmers means the coach has lost the respect of the swimmers. Verbal abuse is not difficult to identify. You’re either supportive of the swimmers swimming your workout or the coach is resorting to screaming and hurling insults as a justification for coaching shortcomings versus being kind and thankful for the effort. Getting hard work in the pool every day is nice to have but everybody has their days.
Swimming at an elite level is hard, that’s why it is elite. If the swimmer resists the program’s intensity and doesn’t make an effort and cops an attitude, then save Mommy and Daddy some… Read more »
I’d be interested in knowing how ’emotional abuse’ is defined in this context.
If you read the allegations against her it would eliminate any ambiguity and give all the context you need. What she did was bad and her being a complete psycho was a “known secret” for many years.