Kentucky Hires Ben Keast as Assistant Coach
Kentucky on Thursday announced the hiring of Ben Keast as an assistant coach on the staff of head coach Bret Lundgaard.
Keast spent the last three seasons at SwimMAC Carolina in Charlotte as an assistant coach with the high performance training group. That meant working with elite national teamers, helping SwimMAC earn the nation’s No. 1 club ranking by USA Swimming.
Keast also coached at Charlotte Country Day School starting in 2023, leading it to back-to-back state championships.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ben to Kentucky Swimming & Diving,” Lundgaard said in a press release. “He is an outstanding coach, but even more importantly, he’s an exceptional person whose character, humility, and ability to connect with people make him a perfect fit for our culture. He is a gifted communicator who builds meaningful relationships with athletes while holding them to an elite standard.”
Keast spent four years as an assistant coach at Swimming Canada’s High Performance Centre in Vancouver, preparing national teamers for international meets like the Olympics, World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships and Pan American Games. He was a team coach for the 2019 Pan Ams as well as other Swimming Canada initiatives.
Keast received his bachelor’s degree in 2009 from Simon Fraser university. He earned a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in high-performance coaching and technical leadership from the University of British Columbia in 2021.
“As we continue building a championship program at Kentucky, adding someone with Ben’s experience, integrity, and passion for helping people reach their potential is a tremendous step forward. We’re excited for the impact he’ll have on our student-athletes, our staff, and the future of this program,” Lundgaard said.
