Coaches:
Randy Ford, Water Coach
I have been coaching for Bedford Crew since 2013. I started my rowing career at UNH and have continued rowing and coaching through the years at high school and collegiate levels. I have coached at UNH, William's College, St. Anselm's College, Central HS, and Amoskeag Rowing Club. I live in Bedford with my wife, Anna, and two children, Jordan and Sydney.
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Jeff Upton, Water Coach
I started my coaching career with Bedford Crew as a volunteer in Spring 2021. In Fall 2023, I signed on as a full-time coach. I learned to row back in college on Cornell University’s Heavyweight Team where I rowed for 4 years, participating in events like the Eastern Sprint, Head of the Charles, and IRAs. I've lived in Bedford for 20+ years with my wife Sheila after relocating from Pennsylvania (Go Birds!). We raised our two children, Andrew and Emily, here in Bedford where they both participated in Bedford Crew as rowers and coxswains. Go Bulldogs!
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Rich Branch, Water Coach
Rich has been involved with rowing since his high school days and began coaching when he was in graduate school at Boston College. Rich has coached at the club, high school, collegiate, and elite levels. Rich is originally from Canada and lives with two rowers: his wife Annie and daughter Emma. Rich is usually joined by his assistant coach Solo, a goldendoodle pup who knows a ruff catch when he sees it.
Joan Lord, Water Coach
Joan Marie Lord started coaching for Bedford Crew in the Spring of 2023. She learned to row and cox at the University of Rochester, New York. Her favorite race is the Head of the Charles, for the technical difficulty of the race for the coxswains. After graduation for a couple of years, Joan continued to race at the HOC with group of women from Undine Barge Club. Joan lives in Merrimack and works at Memorial Elementary school.
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Jennifer Williams, Water Coach
Jennifer is a US Rowing Level 2 Certified Coach and began coaching for Bedford Crew in the Fall of 2019. In college, she rowed for Colgate and Cornell University and has continued to row competitively for several clubs since then including Cascadilla Boat Club, Norwalk River Rowing Club, Portland (OR) Boat Club, and Amoskeag Rowing Club. She has achieved success at the national and international level, winning numerous races including the Head of the Charles, Masters Nationals, Canadian Masters Nationals, and Head of the Fish. She also competed in the 1996 Olympic trials. She runs the New Hampshire Championship Regatta in October and works for a medical device development company when not involved with rowing-related activities.
Mark Lewis, Water Coach
Head Coach of Hollis Brookline Cavaliers Crew for ten years, Head Women’s Coach at UMass Lowell and most recently as Women's Head Coach at the University of San Diego (Division I)
Jack Reid, Water Coach
Learned to row at Concord Crew and rowed at Trinity College. In 2019, Jack made the U23 National Team in the quad and after college spent a few years rowing full time on the Craftsbury GRP in Vermont.
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Amy Klagges, Water Coach
Amy attended Michigan State University where she rowed for four years. She is excited to share her love of the sport with the students at BHS. Amy lives in Bedford with her husband, 3 sons, and 4 dogs. Her oldest son, Colin, is on the BHS Crew team. In her free time, Amy enjoys hiking in the White Mountains, spending time on Lake Sunapee with her family, mountain biking, skiing, CrossFit, and volunteering at Motley Mutts Rescue.