McKeever, Troy named US Olympic coaches

Gregg Troy and Teri McKeever have been named US swim team coaches for the 2012 London Olympics.

USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus announced that Troy would guide the men and McKeever would direct the women. Both were assistants on the US squad at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Troy coaches at the University of Florida and McKeever, the first woman to be named a main coach for any US Olympic swim team, coaches at the University of California.

“I’m incredibly honoured to have been selected,” McKeever said. “I hope some day being a female on an Olympic staff isn’t as noteworthy as maybe it is now.

“I’m looking forward to being a head coach and being able to put my touch on the experience, my touch as being Teri rather than being male or female.”

Troy will guide Michael Phelps, the superstar who won a record eight gold medals at Beijing, and Ryan Lochte, who has had the best results since China.

“We have a tremendous base for 2012,” Troy said. “With athletes like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, I think the opportunity to be fantastic is there for the United States.”

The move comes just over three weeks after USA Swimming confirmed the ousting of Mark Schubert as national team coach and general manager.

No reasons were given by USA Swimming for parting ways with Schubert, who guided US swimmers at six Olympics, but Wielgus said the search for a national team coordinator had no impact on the Olympic coaching choices.