Coaching Staff
James Hand Head Coach

Appointed in May 2023, James is a Swim Ireland Level 3 Coach and former Irish International Swimmer. James had a very successful swimming career at Bangor (Club Captain), Ulster and Irish level, culminating in his selection for the 1998 Commonwealth Games before injury brought his swimming career to an early end. James held mutliple Ulster Junior and Senior Records, and also the 1500m Irish Junior Record.

James has been coaching for over 15 years working as a Junior & Age Group coach with Bangor, and more recently Performance and Assistance Head Coach with Ards.

  Richard Morrow - AG2 Lead Coach

Richard is a level 2 Swim Ireland coach. Richard coaches AG Squad 

In his early career he swam for Bangor, Ulster & Ireland and is a former Bangor Swimming Club Captain as well as captaining the Ireland Swim Team at the first ever Junior Olympics in Brussels in 1991. Richard represented Ireland at the Multination’s Championships through the 90’s and represented Ireland at the European Junior Championships through the 90’s. He was a Commonwealth Games panellist in 1994 & 1998 and is a former Ulster record holder and Ulster & Irish champion for the 200m Freestyle.

   

Sarah Reynolds - Junior Development Lead                                         

Email:  c[email protected]

Since 1999, Sarah has been teaching swimming, achieving both Level 1 and Level 2 teaching qualifications by 2001. Her teaching and coaching philosophy has been shaped by her own experiences as a young competitive swimmer and by the inspiring coaches who guided her along the way. As a swimmer, Sarah was a medalist and finalist at County, Regional and British National level and was a selected member of the Swim 2000 Squad, competing in Europe in 1997. Growing up training alongside three Olympians under the coaching of Ian Turner, who later went on to lead the GB team had a profound influence on her approach to coaching and athlete development, but particular influence on Sarah was her junior coach the late Mr. P. More recently she has been informed that three decades on, she still holds club records.
Graduating in 2004 with a BSc in Coaching Science, specialising in swimming. During her studies, she coached at Lincoln Vulcans and the City of Liverpool Swimming Club, gaining valuable experience across different performance environments including developing sessions to future Olympians Fran Halsall and Kate Haywood. From 2006 to 2007, she briefly coached with Bangor Swimming Club before stepping back due to professional commitments at that time. 
The 2025 season marks Sarah’s fourth season back with Bangor Swimming Club, where she brings not only extensive coaching experience but also a strong background in education, youth, and community development. Since April 2025 as the Junior Development Lead, she combines a strong work ethic with a can-do attitude, understanding that swimming is far more than just a sport, that it’s a lifelong skill that opens doors to countless opportunities. 
Committed to continuous professional development, Sarah has recently completed her Swim Ireland Level 1 and Level 2 Coaching qualifications, expanding her network and expertise within the Swim Ireland and Swim Ulster coaching community.
As a member of the Míde Network, Sarah proudly represents Bangor Swimming Club and Ulster University, working to inspire and empower others for the future.