Swimming: Steketee Added to Coaching Staff
June 14, 2004 10:41 AM | General
June 14, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men's and women's swimming and diving coach Sergio Lopez announced today the hiring of Steve Steketee as an assistant coach for the 2004-05 season.
Steketee (pronounced STECK-ah-TEE), a former three-year captain for the Northwestern men's swimming team, brings Division I men's and women's coaching experience as an assistant on the University of Denver staff last year.
"Steve is one of the young coaching talents in the country," Lopez said. "He has a lot of knowledge and passion for coaching. He knows how I work and is a good recruiter who expresses his knowledge; he brings a lot to the table."
Steketee will be involved in all aspects of the program from on-deck coaching to recruiting and will begin his duties June 30.
As a member of the Northwestern swim team from 1998-2001, Steketee was one of eight Big Ten Conference champions coached by Lopez, who served as NU's associate head coach in 2003-04 and assistant coach from 2000-2003. Including his Big Ten title in the 200 freestyle, Steketee received Honorable Mention on the NCAA Division I All-America Team in the 100 and 200 free and was a 2000 Olympic Team Trials qualifier and participant.
"I'm thrilled," Steketee said. "I had a chance to swim for Coach Lopez, and knowing what kind of coach he is, I can't wait to help rebuild this program at West Virginia with him. He is one of the best coaches in the country."
After graduating from Northwestern in 2001 and serving as head age group coach and assistant senior swimming coach for the USS Swim Team in Lake Forest, Ill., until April of 2003, Steketee returned to his hometown of Denver, Colo., and joined the University of Denver coaching staff.
"I want to bring my enthusiasm and excitement to the team," Steketee said. "Coach Lopez and I will work well together, especially in recruiting; he has a lot of connections on the East Coast and I have connections on the West Coast."
Under first-year head coach Jim Henry, Steketee helped guide the Pioneer men's team to a 10-9 record and its highest finish in the National Independent Conference (NIC) in school history with a fourth-place showing. The women's team posted a 13-7 mark with a third-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference.
