Head coach for LSU passed away this week at the age of 67.
Jeff Cavana began his tenure at LSU as the head swimming coach in August 2000, following a decade as an assistant coach for the Tigers. He joined LSU in 1989 as an assistant under then-head coach Rick Meador and took over the head coach role when Meador stepped down.
During his time as both head coach and assistant, Cavana contributed significantly to the success of LSU’s swimming teams. The women’s team achieved a top-20 national ranking in nine of his 16 seasons, while the men’s team recorded seven top-20 finishes.
Cavana was a key figure in developing LSU’s swimming program, helping it gain prominence. Under his guidance, the LSU women’s team ranked in the top 25 nationally for 13 of his 15 seasons, with nine of those being in the top 20. The men’s team also secured a top-20 spot seven times.
Nationally recognized for his coaching skills, Cavana gained international attention when he served as the Olympic swimming coach for Jamaica at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He played a role in guiding former LSU All-American Sion Brinn to a fourth-place finish in the B-final of the 100-meter freestyle.
Before joining LSU, Cavana was the head coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, for seven years, where he led the Raiders to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Division II Championships and steered them into their first NCAA Division I competition in 1987.
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Cavana graduated from Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Kentucky, and attended Western Kentucky University, where he was a four-year letterman and captain of the swimming and diving team in his senior year.
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