Former Swimming Coach Casey Converse passes away
8/12/2024 9:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Former Air Force swimming and diving coach Keith "Casey" Converse passed away recently following a battle with cancer. Converse was 66.
Coach Converse's Memorial Service
Friday, Sept. 20, 12:30 pm
Shove Chapel, Colorado College, 1010 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903\
(Plenty of parking at Ed Robson Arena, 1/2 block south of the chapel)
Reception to follow at Kinship Landing, 415 S. Nevada Ave.
Converse is the winningest swimming coach in Academy history with a 305-202-2 record in 29 years as men's and women's coach. He led the women's program to back-to-back national championships in 1995 and 1996. The women's program was 73-21 from 1989-96 with five conference titles before moving to the Division I rank in 1997. He guided 32 athletes to All-America honors a total of 178 times. Converse was the first civilian swim coach in Academy history.
Air Force had 13 individual and four relay national championships during his tenure. The Falcons had 12 swimmers win conference titles and the Division I level. Genevieve Miller became the first service academy female swimmer to ever score at the NCAA Division I championships in 2016. Converse coached both teams from 1988-97 and then the women's program from 1997 until his retirement in 2017. Converse was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Converse was one of the United States' pre-eminent distance swimmers during the 1970s, competing at the 1976 Summer Olympics and setting a pair of NCAA records while swimming for the Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Don Gambril. On March 26, 1977, he set an NCAA record and became the first man in swimming history to break the 15-minute barrier in the mile on his way to winning the 1,650-yard freestyle when he clocked 14:57.30 at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio.
He also set the NCAA record in the 1,000-yard freestyle during a dual meet at Auburn University. Prior to his record-shattering performances in 1977, Converse swam as a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team as an 18-year-old, placing ninth in the men's 400-meter freestyle.
Funeral services will be finalized later.
Coach Converse's Memorial Service
Friday, Sept. 20, 12:30 pm
Shove Chapel, Colorado College, 1010 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903\
(Plenty of parking at Ed Robson Arena, 1/2 block south of the chapel)
Reception to follow at Kinship Landing, 415 S. Nevada Ave.
Converse is the winningest swimming coach in Academy history with a 305-202-2 record in 29 years as men's and women's coach. He led the women's program to back-to-back national championships in 1995 and 1996. The women's program was 73-21 from 1989-96 with five conference titles before moving to the Division I rank in 1997. He guided 32 athletes to All-America honors a total of 178 times. Converse was the first civilian swim coach in Academy history.
Air Force had 13 individual and four relay national championships during his tenure. The Falcons had 12 swimmers win conference titles and the Division I level. Genevieve Miller became the first service academy female swimmer to ever score at the NCAA Division I championships in 2016. Converse coached both teams from 1988-97 and then the women's program from 1997 until his retirement in 2017. Converse was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Converse was one of the United States' pre-eminent distance swimmers during the 1970s, competing at the 1976 Summer Olympics and setting a pair of NCAA records while swimming for the Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Don Gambril. On March 26, 1977, he set an NCAA record and became the first man in swimming history to break the 15-minute barrier in the mile on his way to winning the 1,650-yard freestyle when he clocked 14:57.30 at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio.
He also set the NCAA record in the 1,000-yard freestyle during a dual meet at Auburn University. Prior to his record-shattering performances in 1977, Converse swam as a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team as an 18-year-old, placing ninth in the men's 400-meter freestyle.
Funeral services will be finalized later.
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