LEXINGTON, Ky. – On Thursday, swimming & diving Head Coach Bret Lundgaard announced the addition of Ben Keast as an assistant swim coach for the Kentucky program.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ben to Kentucky Swimming & Diving,” said Lundgaard. “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 joins Kentucky after three seasons with SwimMAC Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the nation’s premier club swimming programs. As an assistant coach for the program’s High Performance Training Group, he worked with nationally ranked athletes while helping guide training, competition planning and athlete development. During his tenure, SwimMAC earned the No. 1 club ranking in USA Swimming and captured team titles at the 2024 Winter Junior Championships and 2025 Summer Junior Championships.
In addition to his role with SwimMAC, Keast has served as head coach at Charlotte Country Day School since 2023, leading the program to back-to-back state championships—its first titles in two decades.
Prior to returning to the United States, Keast spent four years as an assistant coach with the Swimming Canada High Performance Centre in Vancouver, where he coached Canadian National Team athletes preparing for the Olympic Games, World Championships and other international competitions. Working within the University of British Columbia’s integrated high-performance system, he collaborated with sport scientists, strength coaches and medical professionals while helping recruit and develop future collegiate student-athletes.
“Ben has coached at an elite level with Canada’s High Performance Centre and has played a significant role in one of the nation’s premier club programs at SwimMAC,” Lundgaard added. “Those experiences have given him a unique perspective on developing Olympic-caliber athletes while never losing sight of the individual behind the performance.”
Throughout his career, Keast has helped develop athletes who have advanced to the Olympic Games, World Championships and NCAA Division I competition. His athletes have represented their countries at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacific Championships, Junior World Championships and Junior Pan Pacific Championships, while numerous swimmers have earned spots on the USA Swimming National Junior Team.
Keast has also served in several national team coaching roles, including as a coach for the 2025 USA Swimming National Select Camp, head coach for the 2021 Swimming Canada Backstroke Camp and team coach for the 2019 Pan American Games. He also contributed to Swimming Canada’s Olympic Relay Initiative.
Keast 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 after completing his bachelor’s degree in English literature from Simon Fraser University in 2009. He also holds an Advanced Coaching Diploma from the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and is a Certified Professional Swim Coach through the Coaching Association of Canada.
“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,” said Lundgaard.
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