Stuart Smith joined Texas Ford Aquatics in May 2012.  Prior to his arrival, Stuart coached the North Texas Nadadores, where he coached swimmers to Top 10 rankings and State Championship levels, and won three straight 14 and under state championships.  Prior to coaching at the NTN, Smith was head coach for the Wal-Mart Swim Club in Bentonville, Arkansas where he developed senior national qualifiers, junior national champions and earned two “Coach of the Year” awards.

Before Wal-Mart, he was an assistant senior coach at Dynamo Swim Club where he coached several Top-16 qualifiers, junior, and senior national qualifiers. Prior to Dynamo, Smith coached the club team at his alma mater, Longhorn Aquatics where he was an age group assistant coach and produced several TAGS qualifiers and champions, as well as some Top-16 qualifiers.

Originally from Huntington Beach, California, Smith attended the University of Texas – Austin, where he majored in kinesiology and minored in English. While attending university, he swam for all four years and became a NCAA Division I All-American swimmer. In the 1984 Olympic Trials, he was a semi-finalist in the 100 meter breaststroke. Smith is certified by the American Swim Coaches Association as a Level 4 coach.

With over 30 years of coaching experience, Coach McGough is a distinguished American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Level 5 coach—the highest certification attainable in his profession. He holds a Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from Auburn University, bringing a deep understanding of athletic performance and training principles to his coaching.

Since joining Texas Ford Aquatics (TFA) in 2021, Coach McGough has played a pivotal role in elevating the program to unprecedented success, culminating in TFA’s first-ever Gold Medal Club Excellence recognition for 2025. Prior to his tenure at TFA, he served as the Head Coach of Clovis Swim Club (2006–2021), where he developed 18 Olympic Trials qualifiers, including five athletes who earned spots on National Junior Teams, Junior Pan Pacific Teams, and World Junior Teams. Under his leadership, Clovis Swim Club achieved Silver Medal Club status and secured a top 50 ranking in USA Swimming’s Virtual Club Championships. Notably, Clovis swimmers recorded the fastest 18 & Under performances in the United States in:

• 2019: Girls 400m Freestyle
• 2020: Girls 200m Breaststroke
• 2021: Boys 200m Freestyle

Before leading Clovis Swim Club, Coach McGough served as the Carroll Independent School District Aquatics Director (2001–2006), where he founded the North Texas Nadadores. His extensive coaching career also includes positions at Auburn University, Fort Smith Tideriders (AR), Gator Swim Club (FL), and Alamo Area Aquatic Association (TX).

At the core of Coach McGough’s philosophy is a commitment to excellence, self-discipline, and personal growth. He emphasizes fostering a healthy self-image, personal accountability, and goal-setting, guiding athletes to reach their fullest potential. “It’s the journey, not just the destination, that matters. Winning isn’t everything, but striving for excellence is.”

Beyond the pool, Coach McGough enjoys spending time with his wife, Julie, and their two sons, Jacob and Caleb. Both followed in their father’s footsteps as competitive swimmers—Jacob at Purdue University and Caleb at Fresno Pacific University.

Coley Stickels has been member of the USA National Team coaching staff for the past 13 consecutive years. Over his distinguished career, he has produced four Olympic medalists, including 2024 Olympic gold medalist Matt King. His athletes have earned more than 20 World Championship medals, 10 medals at the World University Games, and 7 medals at the Short Course World Championships.

In 2023, two of Coley’s swimmers from TFA won multiple gold medals for the U.S. at the Junior World Championships. Overall, his athletes have claimed 7 Junior National titles and broken 16 National Age Group records. Notably, he coached the youngest Olympic Trials qualifiers in both 2008 and 2012—ages 12 and 13, respectively.

Coley has been featured in several instructional videos for his innovative coaching style, and is a sought-after speaker. His roster of elite athletes includes Abbey Weitzeil, Roland Schoeman, Matt King, Ryan Held, Santo Condorelli, and Daiya Seto.

He has led some of the most respected swim programs in the country, including The University of Alabama, Canyons Aquatic Club, and Lake Oswego Swim Club. He has also served as a three-time Olympic head coach for multiple nations.

As an athlete, Coley was a 14-time NCAA All-American and a member of the U.S. National Team. He qualified for the Short Course World Championships and graduated cum laude from the University of Arizona with a B.A. as well as an M.S. degree in Human Science. 

Coley lives in Frisco, TX with his wife, Lindsay, and their son Cub, who is also an avid swimmer at TFA. 

Coach Trent began working at Texas Ford Aquatics in August of 2018, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Accounting. He grew up swimming for TFA (then Frisco Aquatics) from 2004 to 2014.

Trent is a firm believer in developing swimmers as young people by equipping them with the skills they will need to be successful in any aspect of life that they choose to pursue. He focuses on promoting technique, pride in performance, and a great attitude about work ethic and competition. He hopes that he can pass on his love for the sport of swimming to anyone he gets to work with, and to give back to the awesome community that he grew up being a part of!

Former swimmer of 15 years competitively for Metroplex Aquatics, McKinney High School, and then University of Texas at Austin. During my swimming career I was a Sectional, Junior National, and Senior National qualifier. Along with a few accomplishments.
Named Big 12 Champion in the 200 yard freestyle swim
Member of the Big 12 Team Champions 2014-2018
4A and 5A High School Champion in the 100, 200, and 500 yard freestyle

Graduated with a major in Applied Learning and Development and a minor in Kinesiology.

Started my coaching journey in July of 2018 for Metroplex Aquatics as an age group coach. While still living in Austin I joined the Circle C Select Swim Team, there I worked will all levels age group to senior. Since moving back to McKinney I rejoined Metroplex Auquatics again as an age group in addition to senior dryland coach. Finally finding my new home here at TFA as an age group coach.

Kennedy Lovell brings a dynamic blend of elite athletic achievement, academic excellence, and leadership experience to her coaching role at Texas Ford Aquatics.

Athletic Journey & School Records

A standout freestyle specialist, Kennedy enjoyed a decorated collegiate swimming career at the University of Toledo. She holds school records in both the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle, in addition to contributing to record-breaking relay teams.

Leadership, Honors & Academic Excellence

Kennedy’s commitment extended well beyond the pool. She served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and represented Toledo at the conference and national levels through leadership councils and forums.

She consistently earned academic distinctions, including Academic All-Conference honors, Academic All-District recognition, and President’s List status with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Kennedy was also selected as Toledo’s nominee for the NCAA Division I Women of the Year Award.

Education & Postgraduate Career

Kennedy graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2022, earning dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Communication Studies. She went on to complete a master’s degree in Literature in 2024.

Her professional journey includes experience as a graduate assistant in the English Department, editorial and research assistant for a university press, and tutor for student-athletes. She later served as a Student-Athlete Enrichment Postgraduate Fellow, expanding her impact in athletics and higher education.

Why She’s a Great Fit for Texas Ford Aquatics

• Elite Performance & Expertise: Record-setting freestyle swimmer with proven technical mastery.

• Proven Leadership: Experienced leader who inspires and mentors athletes.

• Academic & Holistic Development: Scholar-athlete who emphasizes balance, growth, and discipline.

• Commitment to Athlete Experience: Dedicated to supporting athletes athletically, academically, and personally.

Texas Ford Aquatics is proud to welcome Spencer Penland as our 10 & Under Director. Spencer brings a strong combination of experience, enthusiasm, and proven results to our age group program.

Before joining TFA, Spencer served as Lead Age Group Coach at Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he led multiple groups including the 10 & Under, 11–12, and 13–14 age brackets. As the lead coach for CW’s top 10 & Under group, Spencer helped double the team’s point total at the Michigan 10 & Under State Meet in just one year. Across his three years with CW, he coached more than 20 athletes who finished a season ranked in the top 50 nationally in their age group.

Prior to his time at CW, Spencer coached at Bloomington-Normal YMCA Waves in Illinois from 2017 to 2022. There, he was instrumental in growing the 10 & Under group from 16 to 31 swimmers in under a year and designed the dryland program for the entire team.

Spencer has also contributed to the sport nationally as a writer and analyst for SwimSwam and remains active in coach development through clinics and zone camps.

Spencer’s leadership, technical knowledge, and commitment to swimmer development make him a valuable addition to the TFA staff as we continue to build one of the premier age group programs in the country.