Coaches behind Stirling Olympians win sportscotland award | About | University of Stirling

The University of Stirling swim coaches who nurtured and inspired eight of our athletes to compete – and medal – at this summer’s Olympic Games have been recognised with a top award.

Brad Hay, High-Performance Swim Coach of the coveted Stirling programme, and Steve Tigg – who was recently appointed Head Coach of Aquatics GB – were celebrated at last night’s sportscotland Coaching, Officiating & Volunteering Awards in Glasgow.

Hay and Tigg were joint winners of the High-Performance Coach of the Year award in recognition of their work at the University. Their swimmers – seven representing Team GB and one competing for Zimbabwe – returned from the Paris Games with three medals: a gold and silver for Duncan Scott, who became Scotland’s most decorated Olympian, and a gold for Jack McMillan.

Hay said: “Ultimately it’s the athlete who has to go and perform so all the work is for them, but it’s obviously really enjoyable when the swimmers in the programme are achieving. It’s the strength of the culture in the programme that everyone feels like they’re on the same journey.”

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “It’s fantastic to see Brad and Steve recognised for their outstanding contribution to performance sport in Scotland. Both coaches have firmly established themselves as world-class coaches, as demonstrated by the most recent successes at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“Their dedication to their profession has led them to set the standards for coaching in Scottish sport, so they are truly deserving of this award and recognition.”

Making a difference

The annual sportscotland awards – held at Glasgow City Chambers – celebrate the incredible coaches, officials and volunteers who are making a difference to sport in Scotland. This year’s awards attracted almost 300 nominations spanning 34 sports and all 32 local authorities.

It is the second accolade this year for Hay and Tigg who were joint winners of the Coach of the Year award at the Scottish Swimming Awards earlier this year.

Tigg started coaching at Stirling in 2014 and departed the University earlier this month after being appointed to the top coaching role with Aquatics GB, while Hay has coached on the programme since 2015. Together, the two coaches have delivered phenomenal success for Stirling athletes on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Eight swimmers competed at the Paris Olympics, returning with three medals; five competed at Tokyo 2021, returning with five medals; and four competed at Rio 2016, returning with three medals. Twenty Stirling athletes competed at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, bringing home a record 16 medals, and eight competed at the Gold Coast Games in 2018, delivering 11 medals.

Earlier this year, Brad coached with Aquatics GB at the European Aquatics Championships in Serbia, at which two Stirling athletes – Lucy Grieve and Holly McGill – competed. He was also selected for last year’s Under-23 European Championships, with Stirling swimmers returning with six medals.

Dedication

Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: “Every year the Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the people across the country who have given so much of their time and dedication to Scottish sport and are making such an impact on their sport and their community.

“Across Scotland, there are thousands of people who recognise the impact that sport can have on us all. The people we are celebrating have taken that recognition and ,with a huge amount of hard work, helped to change people’s lives.

“Individuals like Steven and Brad have dedicated a huge amount of their time to helping others realise their sporting potential.”