Coach Marcus “Sam” Bach – Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics (HLA)

Coach Marcus “Sam” Bach has been a proud member of the Lincoln swimming community since 1996, when he began his journey as a competitive swimmer with Lincoln Parks and Recreation. His love for the sport has only grown deeper over the years—first as an athlete, and now as a coach who brings passion, energy, and a deep commitment to every swimmer he works with.

Sam was a member of the inaugural Heartland Aquatics team in 2000, competing at the highest levels of age group swimming through Midwestern Swimming. As a student-athlete at Lincoln East High School, he was a four-year letterwinner, state qualifier in the 100 Back and 200 IM, and captain of the boys’ swim team his senior year. His coaching career began during high school, where he found his calling working with young swimmers and teaching lessons at Hillcrest Country Club.

From 2008 to 2013, Coach Sam helped led Hillcrest to six consecutive City Country Club League Championships. In 2011, he began coaching year-round club swimming with the Greater Nebraska Swim Team (GNST), where he spent eight impactful years alongside Cal Benz—an experience that helped shape his core coaching philosophy.

In 2015, Coach Sam was honored by his peers as the Midwestern Age-Group Coach of the Year, and has served on the Midwestern Swimming Board of Delegates as the Coaches Chair, staying engaged with the sport’s evolving best practices through clinics and leadership opportunities.

Since becoming Head Coach of Heartland Aquatics (HLA) in Dec 2017, Sam has helped rejuvenate the team into a high-performing, values-driven program. Over the past eight years, HLA has regularly placed swimmers in the top 16 at the NSAA State Championships, produced multiple Speedo Sectionals qualifiers and Futures athletes. HLA earned two National Championship cuts in the Summer of 2024. HLA has seen many athletes go on to swim at the collegiate level.

At the heart of Coach Sam’s approach is his enthusiasm for the process—celebrating every milestone, from a swimmer’s first flip turn to their college commitment. He believes in building athletes who are not only fast in the water but also confident, dedicated, and resilient in life.

His coaching philosophy remains grounded in the belief that swimming is about more than just times—it's about building character, community, and a lifelong love for the sport.

From day one to now: “ALL THE WAY.”

I have had a long relationship with swimming that started back when I was 7 years old and began competing with the Lincoln YMCA and University Place swim team. Later down the line, I went on to be a 4-year letter winner at Lincoln Northeast High School and swam the 400 freestyle relay at state finals in 2016. Throughout high school, I also swam for Greater Nebraska
Swim Team. After I graduated from Northeast, I attended the University of Nebraska Kearney where I was a member of the swim team for all 4 years and specialized in distance freestyle and backstroke. In February of 2020, I ended my 14-year swimming career with school records in the 200 and 400 medley relays and the 400 and 800 freestyle relays. In addition to these I left UNK with 7 events in the All-Time Top 10. I made a brief come back to the sport at the start of 2025 and currently hold the 50-100-200 backstroke records for 25-29 year old women in Nebraska!

My coaching career began in the summer of 2016 at the Lincoln Northeast YMCA working primarily with the youngest age groups. Then in 2017, I started as an assistant coach at University Place pool, the team that started my passion for swimming years ago. In 2019, I took over as head coach, and that summer I led UNI to our 4th consecutive city championship. I
added USA Swim Coaching experience during the summers of 2018 and 2019 where I was an assistant coach for Greater Nebraska Swim Team. In June of 2020, I was able to join the HLA squad. In 2022, I took on the role of Head Age Group Coach. I have been able to send athletes to All Stars, Central Zones, Sectionals, and Junior Nationals as well as one Master's World Record Holder! 

On top of my love for swimming, I also have a love for education and working with some of the toughest populations. I graduated from UNK in December 2020 with my degree in 7-12 Special Education and K-12 English as a Second Language. I was a Special Education Teacher at North Star High School for four years working in the behavior and life skills program. I graduated with my Master's of Educational Leadership in May of 2025 and am now a Special Education Coordinator in LPS.

HLA is not just a team to me, but also a home and an extended family! I truly bleed Blue and Gold! #AllTheWay

JoMac is a former Division I athlete, professional trainer, volunteer coach, and full-time mom of two—one of whom is a proud HLA swimmer, Zoe! Originally from Greenville, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis, she grew up loving the outdoors and playing basketball. Her athletic journey brought her to Nebraska, where she played for the Cornhuskers in the late '80s. After earning her degree from UNL, she dedicated her career to working with at-risk youth and has served as a staff trainer at the Lancaster Juvenile Detention Center for over 15 years.

JoMac’s connection to the water started early—she ran her hometown’s country club and city pools during the summers, teaching swim lessons, lifeguarding, and managing staff. During college, she worked at Woods Pool, which she still describes as some of the best times of her life. Her coaching experience spans soccer, basketball, softball, and baseball, and in every role, she brings unmatched energy and a deep love for working with kids. Young athletes respond to her genuine enthusiasm and passion for helping them grow—not just as swimmers, but as people.

JoMac and her family joined HLA in 2013, and she officially joined the coaching staff in 2017. As both an athlete and a parent, she brings a unique, holistic coaching style to the deck—balancing technique, encouragement, and life lessons in every practice. Her ability to connect with swimmers and motivate them from the inside out is what makes her a truly impactful coach. ALL THE WAY.

I stared swimming for teams when I was 8 years old and had swum every year for a club until I
graduated high school in 2020. I moved to Lincoln from Omaha in 2012 and swam for the
rachet club for 2 summers. In 2014 I decided to make the change from summer swim leagues to
a year-round team and joined GNST. I swam with them until 2019 when I switched to Lincoln
Select for the last year that I swam competitively. I started swimming in high school for Lincoln
East in 2016. There I found my favorite events were the 100 Backstroke and the 200 IM. I went
to the state competitions for all 4 years I swam for East. My most standout year was my junior
year where I swam the 200 IM with a time of 2:04.93. My senior year I swam a 55.19 in the 100
Backstroke at the state meet. After that I left the world of swimming for a while with COVID,
but now I can’t wait to get back into the sport!

Coming from a family with multiple generations of swimmers, the pool has always felt like home. I started swimming competitively at the age of 9 in Omaha, Nebraska, and spent the following years swimming for several club teams before competing for Millard West High School.

During my later high school years, I began teaching swim lessons and quickly advanced to become the student manager of my high school's Learn-to-Swim program. Wanting to challenge myself beyond lessons, I began coaching with Millard Aquatic Club, where I spent my final year and a half in Omaha working with competitive swimmers and discovering my passion for coaching.

Now, I’m a student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where I’m double-majoring in Computer Engineering and Mathematics. After moving to Lincoln, I was incredibly grateful to join the coaching staff at Heartland Aquatics, where I’ve had the opportunity to continue doing what I love at a high level.

Coaching at HLA has only deepened my passion for the sport. Every day on deck is an opportunity to make meaningful connections, teach skills in new and creative ways, and support the next generation of swimmers. I’m excited to continue growing as a coach while helping our athletes grow in and out of the water.

I’ve been part of the swimming community for most of my life. I was a competitive swimmer for 11 years, beginning with the Irvingdale Frogs summer league team. Over the course of my club career, I swam with three different teams—spending the last seven years with Heartland Aquatics, where I truly found my home. I also swam varsity for four years at Lincoln East High School, specializing in the 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle, and 50 freestyle.

For the past four summers, I’ve returned to where it all started—coaching the Irvingdale Frogs and helping younger swimmers build their confidence in the water. I’ve also worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor at Irvingdale Pool, further developing my ability to teach and support swimmers of all skill levels.

Currently, I’m a second-year student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, majoring in Architecture and minoring in Spanish. I’m proud to be a member of the UNL Big Red Singers Show Choir, the University Honors Program, and I also serve as a student ambassador for the UNL College of Architecture.

Coaching for HLA has been an exciting next step in my journey. My passion for swimming—and now coaching—continues to grow, and I’m thrilled to be part of a team that values hard work, community, and constant improvement. I’m looking forward to growing alongside our athletes and celebrating their progress both in and out of the pool!