VILLANOVA, Pennsylvania, September 18. SWIMMING isn’t just a lifelong sport when it comes to being in the water, some retired coaches just can’t stay away. Legendary Yale head coach Frank Keefe is one of these retirees who has decided to return to the sport to impart the wisdom gained from decades as a coach.
Keefe, a former Villanova swimmer, returned to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach for the swimming and diving teams, and will help head coach Rick Simpson to keep Villanova as a program on the rise.
Keefe is definitely a living legend in the sport. He was the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams for 32 years at Yale before retiring in 2010. During his time at Yale, he earned a Hall of Fame induction and tallied 488 total career coaching wins. In 2009, Keefe was honored with the ASCA Award of Excellence. Keefe also had club experience, having founded the Omni Swim Club in New Haven, Conn., having coached there for 20 years as well.
Keefe proved his ability on the international stage as well. He was the assistant coach for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic team, and head manager of the 1988 Seoul Olympic team. He also served as the head coach for the U.S. at the 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games, and assisted on the 1978 World Championships squad.
Keefe is a 1960 graduate of Villanova, and is a member of the Villanova Athletics Hall of Fame as well as the Pennsylvania Athletics Hall of Fame.