The Coaches

The Bayou Barracuda Swim team have professional full-time coaches who bring years of expertise and diligence to the team.  The Barracuda coaches, Frank and Duane, work for the love of the sport, and for the youth in this community.

Coach Frank Shepard

has 48 years coaching experience including teams in California, Texas, Louisiana (Baton Rouge, Lafayette & Houma), North Carolina, Guatemala, and ran a 12-week Coaches College at the University of Physical Education in Tehran, Iran.

He has many professional affiliations and certifications.  While coaching in Iran, their National Team broke 26 records.  Frank has trained many National and Jr. National qualifiers and medalists, in addition to many High School ! All Americans (3 from Vandebilt Catholic High).  Many swimmers have gone on to successful college swimming careers receiving both full and partial scholarships.

Coach Duane Ring

Native New Orleanian. First graduating class of Riverdale High. B.S. in Medical Technology from Loyola University.  Worked in microbiology labs at Touro and Mercy Hospitals for 5 years prior to moving to Houma where husband Mike established his dental practice.

Two sons, both swimmers. Patrick trained Olympic Pentathlon and Edmund was an NCAA All American for LSU swimming.

As charter members of what is now the Bayou Barracudas, Pat and Eddie began their age group swimming careers in 1984 with Frank at the YMCA. I started doing “parent” things such as team paper work and became part of the masters swim team. A friend, who was also a masters swimmer, and I began helping on the deck with the numerous 8 & unders. From there I began working on all of my aquatic and coaching certifications, and under Frank’s tutelage learned the coaching and teaching skills that have enabled me to be a part of our successful programs.

As the head coach of the Vandebilt Catholic High swim team the boys’ team has had four consecutive state titles and the girls’ team has had six consecutive state titles. The credit for those titles is of course shared with Frank.