Pathway · Lateral move
Academy Head of Coaching to Academy Manager
How to move from Academy Head of Coaching to Academy Manager: what to learn, what to prove and what formal steps, if any, are needed.
Qualification check for Academy Manager
Required
This move needs the right qualification, licence or registration for the new role. Academy systems commonly require advanced coaching or management qualifications for this role, plus safeguarding training.
The move at a glance
Academy Head of Coaching
Leads coaching across the academy and sets how the club develops players.
Academy Manager
Runs the whole academy, including coaching, education, welfare and recruitment.
Skills and knowledge to build
Experience and routes that help
The routes into your current role also work for this one. Focus on a wider scope of responsibility.
Qualifications to consider
No additional qualification is typically required. Experience and a track record matter most.
Tools to learn
What the new role asks of you
- Lead academy staff and budgets
- Meet league academy standards and audits
- Link the academy to the first team
Practical steps
- Ask for a small piece of the new role's work before you apply, for example one of the tasks above.
- Close the top gap first: Safeguarding.
- Keep a record of two results that show you working at the next level.
- Talk to three people who do the job. Ask how they got in, and who they would recommend you speak to.