{"id":1088,"date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/performance-appointments\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:29","slug":"performance-appointments-129","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/performance-appointments-129\/","title":{"rendered":"Performance Appointments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n Sep 12, 2019 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Performance Appointments<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Category<\/div>\n Coaching & Development<\/a> <\/div>\n
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https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/performance-appointments-129\/<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
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Senior Appointments at Watford FC, Valencia CF, New Zealand Cricket and beyond.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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Performance Appointments<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Leaders Performance Institute\u2019s weekly review of appointments across global sport.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Welcome to the latest round-up of performance appointments, which begin with the English Premier League and Watford FC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Hornets chose to dismiss Javi Gracia as Head Coach and have reemployed Quique S\u00e1nchez Flores,<\/strong> who previously coached the team for a single season in 2015-16. There were just 30 minutes between the announcement of Gracia\u2019s exit and the return of his Spanish compatriot S\u00e1nchez Flores.<\/p>\n

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There has been some high profile movement in Spain itself as Valencia<\/strong> dismissed Marcelino Garc\u00eda Toral and replaced him as First Team Coach with Albert Celedes<\/strong>, who has signed a contract through to 30 June 2021.<\/p>\n

Across the Atlantic, Diego Maradona<\/strong> is back in coaching in the Primera Liga in his native Argentina. He has been unveiled as the Head Coach of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata<\/strong>. Maradona takes the reins until the end of the season.<\/p>\n

On to rugby league, specifically England\u2019s Super League, where Leeds Rhinos<\/strong> have appointed Richard Agar<\/strong> on a rolling 12-month contract. Agar had been serving on an interim basis since May when previous Head Coach David Furner was sacked.<\/p>\n

Across the Pennines, St Helens<\/strong> announced that Kristian Woolf<\/strong> will succeed Justin Holbrook as Head Coach from 2020. Woolf has signed a two-year deal with an option for a third year.<\/p>\n

In the world of cricket, Pakistan<\/strong> ended their search for a new Head Coach for their senior men\u2019s team with the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq<\/strong>. He will also serve as Chief Selector.<\/p>\n

The South Africa senior men\u2019s team<\/strong> have a new Batting Coach for their three-match series with India next month, with Amol Muzumdar<\/strong> accepting the role.<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s game, Bob Carter<\/strong> has been confirmed as Head Coach of the New Zealand senior team<\/strong> ahead of their ICC World T20 campaign, which begins in February. Carter had been serving on an interim basis since February and has held a number of coaching positions within the White Ferns\u2019 setup.<\/p>\n

Back in England, Salliann Briggs<\/strong> has been named as Head Coach of the Nottingham-based women\u2019s team set to compete in the ECB\u2019s The Hundred competition from 2020.<\/p>\n

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Friday 30th September<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rugby Union leads the way this week with the news that Jim Mallinder<\/strong> has left his post with England Rugby to take up the position of Performance Director with Scottish Rugby<\/strong>. Mallinder, who described the move as “an offer I couldn’t refuse”, will work to develop players for the men’s and women’s Scotland national teams as well as the country’s two professional men’s club teams, the Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

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Back south of Hadrian’s Wall and on to soccer. The England men’s development teams<\/strong> have confirmed their coaches for the upcoming season. Ian Foster<\/strong> has been appointed Head Coach of the men’s Under-18s, while Paul Simpson<\/strong> will take the same position with the men’s Under-19s.<\/p>\n

Simpson replaces Keith Downing<\/strong>, who has moved up to work as Head Coach of the men’s Under-20s. The three moves form part of the Football Association’s three-year cycle at development level, which allows coaches and players to work together over a longer period.<\/p>\n

Across the Atlantic, the Colorado Rapids<\/strong> of MLS have hired Robin Fraser<\/strong> as Head Coach. He replaces Conor Casey, who had been serving on an interim basis since May.<\/p>\n

Switching swiftly to cricket, Mahela Jayawardene<\/strong>\u00a0and Charlotte Edwards<\/strong> have been named as Head Coaches of the Southampton-based teams due to take part in the ECB’s new limited overs competition, The Hundred. Jayawardene will serve with the men’s team and Edwards the women’s.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Waqar Younis<\/strong> was viewed as the standout candidate for the role of Bowling Coach of the Pakistan men’s senior team.<\/p>\n

Also in Pakistan, Ijaz Ahmed<\/strong> has been appointed Pakistan men’s Under-19s Head Coach<\/strong>. He has signed a three-year contract and will also work closely with the nation’s men’s A team and the men’s Under-16s.<\/p>\n

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Friday 23rd August<\/strong><\/p>\n

We return this week with the world of cricket and Russell Domingo<\/b>, who is the new Head Coach of the Sri Lanka men\u2019s team<\/b>. He replaces Steve Rhodes, who departed after the Cricket World Cup<\/p>\n

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Elsewhere in cricket, the IPL\u2019s Sunrisers Hyderabad<\/b> have agreed terms with Brad Haddin<\/b> to serve as Assistant Coach. He will serve under new Head Coach Trevor Bayliss.<\/p>\n

In the world of the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder have hired Mark Daigneault<\/b>, David Akinyooye,<\/b> Dave Bliss<\/b>, Brian Keefe<\/b>, and Mike Wilks<\/b> to serve as assistant coaches on Head Coach Billy Donovan\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n

On to soccer, where Jack Collison<\/b> has been appointed Head Coach of Atlanta United<\/b>\u2019s Under-17s men\u2019s team. Zach Herold<\/b> has been named\u00a0to the same position for Atlanta\u2019s Under-16s.<\/p>\n

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Friday 16th August<\/b><\/p>\n

Kate Markgraf<\/strong> has been hired as the first-ever General Manager of the US women\u2019s national soccer team<\/strong>. Markgraf, who has 201 caps from her time representing the team, will be responsible for the team\u2019s culture and playing style but her most immediate job is to find a replacement for the departed Head Coach Jill Ellis.<\/p>\n

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There have been a number of appointments across the world of cricket this week and we begin with the India Premier League and the Kolkata Knight Riders<\/strong>\u2019 announcement that their former batsman Brendon McCullum<\/strong> will serve as the team\u2019s new Head Coach, replacing Jacques Kallis. It is a double hiring for the New Zealander, who will also take the reins of the Trinbago Knight Riders<\/strong>, another team from within the same group, in the Caribbean Premier League.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in India, Shib Sankar<\/strong> has been installed as the Head Coach of the Bengal women\u2019s state cricket team<\/strong>. Sankar will also hold coaching duties for the Bengal junior women\u2019s team<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Western Australian Cricket Association<\/strong> has a new General Manager – High Performance in the form of Kade Harvey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s new cricket competition, The Hundred, is still a year out from its inauguration but the coaching appointments continue apace.<\/p>\n

Tom Moody<\/strong> has been unveiled as the Head Coach of the as-yet-unnamed men\u2019s team to be based at the Oval in London.<\/p>\n

Across the Thames at Lord\u2019s, Shane Warne<\/strong> and Lisa Keightley<\/strong> will serve as head coach of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams of the franchise to be based at cricket\u2019s spiritual home.<\/p>\n

Over in Wales, Gary Kirsten<\/strong> and Matthew Mott<\/strong> have been hired as the head coaches of the Cardiff-based men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams respectively. Both men will continue in their current posts, with Kirsten coaching the DurbanHeat men\u2019s T20 side and Mott as Australia women\u2019s Head Coach.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n

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