Jesse Moore Named Acting Head Coach of Cal Women’s Swim Team

Less than two months after being hired from Dartmouth as an assistant, Jesse Moore is running the Cal women’s swim and dive team’s optional practices as acting head coach in the wake of Teri McKeever being placed on administrative leave May 25

According to Jonathan Okanes, Cal’s interim associate athletics director of communications, Moore is receiving help from Dr. Graig Chow, the director of Cal Athletics’ “High Performance and Well-Being” program. Lead sport supervisor Gordon Bayne and senior associate athletic director Josh Hummel are also assisting with day-to-day operations. 

“Each of these individuals is committed to doing all that they can so that the swimmers and divers here at Cal can thrive in a positive environment,” Okanes said.

Moore recently led a group of Cal swimmers at the Pro Swim Series meet in Mission Viejo. After winning the 100 back in 1:00.21 at that meet, USA Swimming National Team member Isabelle Stadden entered the transfer portal along with roommate Ayla Spitz

Moore was hired in mid-April to replace assistant coach Dani Korman after spending the 2020-21 season as head coach of Dartmouth. He brought in one of the best recruiting classes in Dartmouth history and coached his swimmers to four school records and 37 all-time top-10 performances. Prior to Dartmouth, Moore served on coaching staffs at Minnesota, Northwestern, Duke, William & Mary, and Drexel. 

79
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

79 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Happy Slappy
1 year ago

Great pick by Cal, if he succeeds they look good, if he fails it’s easy to cut ties with him.

Cal setting the highest standards.

Peaty55Paris
1 year ago

Hmm

MarkB
1 year ago

Jesse Moore, the Gerald Ford of college swimming.

Greg f
1 year ago

Geeze really? It’s almost like cal doesn’t care…

KeepinItReal
1 year ago

They forgot the part where more than a dozen swimmers at Dartmouth left because of Jesse … Cal … out of the fire into the frying pan. Hopefully these women get out while they can.

SwammaJammaDingDong
1 year ago

This is the guy that attended the meeting where the victims were forced to be in the same room with their attacker, then he chased the victims into the parking lot when they were trying to get away. He should be looking for a lawyer along with McKeever.

swimapologist
Reply to  SwammaJammaDingDong
1 year ago

Damn. That’s some impressive spin. Shut off Fox News and touch some grass, bro.

He’s in a really tough situation. There’s no playbook for this stuff. Cal admin should have given them more support for that next practice, that’s the failing there.

DCC Parent
Reply to  swimapologist
1 year ago

Actually, there is a playbook for this. Cal’s admin simply has their collective heads in the sand and isn’t bothering with or capable of basic crisis management and leadership.

No disagreement Jesse is in a difficult situation. But based on recent history, I wouldn’t expect Cal’s admin to add value here or provide much support.

For the sake of the swimmers, i would love to be proven wrong.

Beyond the pool
Reply to  DCC Parent
1 year ago

Cal’s administration is checked out, like all the other UC’s. Everyone is working (supposedly) from home. Nobody is really watching the farm. Go ahead, call any UC campus, any administration or department, try to get ahold of someone or try to get them to just do their job in a timely fashion…crickets. The pandemic appears to be a great excuse for mediocrity at all UC campuses.

Daimo
Reply to  SwammaJammaDingDong
1 year ago

I love how the whole “innocent until proven guilty” concept gets thrown out when it comes to women coaches.

NONA
Reply to  Daimo
1 year ago

Show me one comment section in the history of the internet that has been “innocent until proven guilty.”

Daimo
Reply to  NONA
1 year ago

True, and speaks to my point.

Sarah
Reply to  Daimo
1 year ago

she is not innocent

Daimo
Reply to  Sarah
1 year ago

Yet to be proven guilty. But who needs due process when we have anonymous pundits.

Becky D
1 year ago

“Each of these individuals is committed to doing all that they can so that swimmers and divers here at Cal can thrive in a positive environment,” Okanes said.

Unsaid is where that positive environment might be.

Last edited 1 year ago by Becky D
Becky D
Reply to  Becky D
1 year ago

…and I’m going to be that person, after wincing multiple time while reading these comments. Before you use the word “alumni” again, please look it up.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/alumni

alo
Reply to  Becky D
1 year ago

Probably somewhere in the transfer portal

Cheesecake Enjoyer
1 year ago

Regardless of your opinion on this program, it’s obvious that Jesse’s been quickly plunged into an all-consuming effort. He’s got enormous shoes to fill, but I think he’ll be able to fit the pants worn by his predecessors of such a storied program. He’s surely cooking up some fresh ideas on how to roll on with this team, might even be a piece of cake for him.

In the end, sometimes Moore is more.

KeepinItReal
Reply to  Cheesecake Enjoyer
1 year ago

I think you mean way LESS = Moore

Jeff
Reply to  Cheesecake Enjoyer
1 year ago

I personally hope he doesn’t fill those shoes or fit the pants of his predecessor. Let’s hope he has success but not in anyway the same manner of execution.

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

Read More »