Casey Converse

Keith Cawthon Converse (September 12, 1957 – August 8, 2024) was an American college swimming coach and competition swimmer.

He 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 swim team at the University of Alabama, coached by Don Gambril.

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.

During this time, the men's team went from last in the Western Athletic Conference to second, and the women made AFA history by winning two NCAA Division II championships in a row (1995 & 1996).

While writing, Converse worked as a consultant for The Last Gold, a documentary produced by USA Swimming to tell the same story.