The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Nancy Smith to coach Team Muirhead
Nancy Smith has been brought in by British Curling to help take Team Muirhead in a different direction
Nancy Smith will be Team Muirhead’s coach for the new curling season, it has been announced.
Perthshire skip Eve and her teammates have previously been working with Canadian legend Glenn Howard but British Curling has now taken them in a different direction as they build towards the next Winter Olympics.
Smith is the sister of national coach David Murdoch. She has previously worked with all four members of Team Muirhead and was Team GB’s Olympic women’s coach when Eve, an Olympic medallist and former World champion, madeher debut at theVancouverGames in 2010.
Smith said: “It is always a huge honour to work with our programme athletes as they seek to achieve their goals and it is highly satisfying to be part of a team’s journey, helping them to realise their full potential.
“It is with great pride that I will be coaching this combination of players I have worked with at different stages
NANCY SMITH
over the last decade and in the coming season we will be targeting competing with the best and being the best in the world.
Ex-Olympian Greg Drummond, from Angus, also has a full-time coaching role in the new look set-up, primarily working in mixed doubles.
Alan Hannah (Team Mouat) and David Aitken (Team Jackson) are others to move into frontline positions.
Murdoch, who will oversees the elite programme’s coaching team said: “We now have a full coaching cohort and this will be immensely valuable to be able to plan and deliver detailed weekly training alongside in-competition coaching.
“It will be instrumental in allowing the athletes to maximise their potential and development both on and off the ice.
“All three appointments are able to hit the ground running in their roles due to their familiarity with the programme and background in the sport. Given that by the end of this season we will be more than halfway through the Beijing Olympic cycle, this is vital as we aim to ensure our curlers are the best prepared they can be for the 2022 Winter Olympics and future Olympiads.
“Expanding our coaching team to work with all our programme athletes at our National Curling Academy represents an exciting time for our sport, when we are also looking forward to contesting the LGT World Men’s Curling Championships on home ice at the Emirates Arena this season.”
Completing the programme’s coaching line-up is three-time World champion Ian Tetley.
The Canadian will be working with Team Paterson for a second year, after steering them to a Grand Slam title in their first season together.
In the coming season we will be targeting competing with the best and being the best in the world.