Stephen Maguire appointed to Scottish Athletics role

Scottish Athletics have appointed Northern Irishman Stephen Maguire in their new director of coaching role.

Maguire, who coaches Irish Paralympic star Jason Smyth, will take up the job after completing his Olympic and Paralympic commitments later this year.

The 48-year-old is currently based in Florida where he works with a group of athletes which includes Tyson Gay.

"I see the job as a long-term project, not forgetting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in two years," said Maguire.

"It is vitally important that we succeed there and begin to build a performance base for the future.

"We have athletes that can succeed at the highest level. I believe we need to support these athletes and coaches and help them develop.

"Having said all that, like anything worthwhile in life, the job for me and the challenge we face will not be easy.

"It takes an awful lot of hard work to become a world class athlete and a world class coach.

"But we want to build a world class system for our athletes and coaches that can be benchmarked against best practice anywhere across the globe."

Maguire previously worked as Athletics Ireland's director of coaching before taking on a full-time role guiding sprinter Smyth's career in Florida.

The Strabane man has worked as an assistant to high-profile US coach Lance Brauman in Florida over the last three years.

Scottish Athletics chief executive Nigel Holl said that the priorities for the new appointment would be "long-term and making making sure the structures deliver the right support to the right athletes and coaches when they need it".

"It's worth waiting until September for those skills and experience although Stephen will help us finalise the other members of the performance team over the next couple of months," added the Scottish Athletics chief.