Gerard Jones (football coach)

Gerard Jones

Personal information
Full name	Gerard Jones
Date of birth	(1989-06-24) 24 June 1989 (age 34)
Place of birth	York, England
Team information
Current team	Sporting Kansas City (Director of Coaching)
Managerial career
Years	Team
2010–2011	Arsenal Soccer Schools (Director of Coaching)
2010–2015	Rochdale (Academy Coach)
2014–2015	Eccleshill United (Manager)
2015–2016	Bradford City (U21s Assistant Coach)
2013–2016	RIASA (Head Academy Coach)
2017–2018	Bristol Rovers (Head of Coaching
2020–2021	Royal Moroccan Football Federation (Elite Coach Educator)
2018–2023	United States Soccer Federation (Coach Educator)

Gerard Jones (born 24 June 1989) is an English professional football coach, having previously worked as an Elite Coach Educator with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and as a former Head of Coaching at Bristol Rovers F.C. ^[1] Jones is a former youth team player at Halifax Town A.F.C., ^[2] and award-winning entrepreneur having set up a football coaching business in early 2009, which he later grew into becoming recognized among the Top 100 Best Business Start-ups in the UK in 2010 by Startups.co.uk. ^[3]

With over 18 years experience coaching in the U.K., U.S., Italy, Norway, Morocco and New Zealand, ^{[4] [5]} his previous roles include being a Director of Coaching in the U.S., ^{[6] [7]} having also worked as a Director of Coaching at Arsenal Soccer Schools, U21s Assistant Coach at Bradford City A.F.C., an Academy Coach at Rochdale A.F.C. and a former Manager (association football) at Eccleshill United F.C. ^[8]

Since leaving Bristol Rovers in 2018, Jones joined United States Soccer Federation as a nationally licensed Coach Educator, having been identified by USSF to deliver nationally accredited coach education courses through Eastern New York State Soccer Association and other state associations. ^[9] As a published author in communication psychology through the use of Game-calls with a focus on the use of feedback, Jones has presented at several coaching conferences and events, which includes as a Guest Presenter at the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association "Soccer Learning University" conference in 2020, one of the United States Soccer Federation State Soccer Association sharing insight into his 4-Cs Coaching Approach which guides his coaching philosophy. ^[10]

Jones joined the Royal Moroccan Football Federation recruited by Osian Roberts as an Elite Coach Educator (Formateur des Entraîneurs) in Feb 2020. ^{[11] [12]}

He is currently a Director of Coaching at Major League Soccer Sporting Kansas City. ^[5]

Coaching career

Jones started his coaching career in schools and community programs, later going on to launch his own coaching business Gerard School of Football. ^{[2] [13]} He then coached at various non-league youth and reserve teams, alongside college and university programs, and later became an Academy Coach at Rochdale A.F.C and First Team Manager at Eccleshill United F.C. ^{[14] [15]}

In March 2016, Jones left England and his role with Bradford City A.F.C. where he was the Assistant U21s Coach through American collegiate soccer academy RIASA, to become the Director of Coaching at Eastside F.C. in Michigan. ^{[6] [16] [17]}

June 2017, Bristol Rovers F.C. announced Jones as Head of Academy Coaching, responsible for the development of the Academy coaching program and coach development across all ages, working with the Academy Manager and Phase Lead Coaches to enhance the efficiency of their programs. ^{[18] [8]}

In 2011, Jones was listed among the Top 50 brightest and most talented people in the North of England, ^[19] and in 2014 was also awarded the Junior Chamber International U.K. Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) award for his entrepreneurial success and creation of coaching programs with Gerard School of Football. ^[20]

Alongside coaching, Jones is also a published author with his book titled: Let's Talk Soccer.

Jones holds the FA UEFA A Licence and FA Advanced Youth Award (12–16) alongside a master's degree in Performance Coaching. ^[21] He is also studying a PhD in augmented feedback related to how coaches can use verbal feedback in football within a constraints-led approach to guide the visual search of the football player, in order to improve player's learning and performance. ^[22]

Jones is studying a PhD at Sheffield Hallam University ^[22] alongside creating a digital tech-startup providing online coach education for coaches, which has already received support from NatWest via their Entrepreneur Accelerator programme and the University of Cambridge's Impulse Programme for High Tech Innovation. ^[23] He also possesses a PGCE in Lifelong Learning from the University of Huddersfield, ^[22] and has also studied a Masters in Sports Directorship at Manchester Metropolitan University alongside other notable alumni including Steve Round, Karen Bardsley, and Nick Cox. ^{[24] [25] [26]}

Jones is also a Nationally Licensed Coach Educator for United States Soccer Federation and has also mentored coaches on behalf of The Football Association of Wales, Asian Football Confederation, the Football Association and other governing bodies ^[22]

In early 2020, Jones joined the Royal Moroccan Football Federation as an Elite Coach Educator under the direction of then National Technical Director Osian Roberts.

He later joined MLS Sporting Kansas City in early 2022 as a Director of Coaching. ^[5]

References

1. "Bristol Rovers". Official website.
2. Ferrier, Morwenna (6 March 2011). "Britain's new entrepreneurs: young guns go for it". The Guardian . Retrieved on 20 June 2017.
3. "Startups100 Business Awards 2010: 100. Gérard School of Football Offering young players an alternative to the FA system of player development". 24 August 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
4. Vittles, Jack (14 July 2017). "New Bristol Rovers head of academy coaching aiming to develop players who will play at the club for a decade". Bristol Post . Retrieved on 15 July 2017.
5. Belzer, Jares (20 March 2022). "Gérard Jones Joins Sporting City North as Director of Coaching". Sporting Kansas City . Retrieved on 20 August 2022.
6. (10 March 2016). "Soccer: Eastside FC Club announces new coach". Grosse Pointe News . Retrieved on 31 August 2017.
7. "Soccer: Eastside FC Club announces new coach" (PDF). Grosse Pointe News . Retrieved 20 June 2017.
8. Bate, Adam (6 July 2017). "Gerard Jones is a teacher, author and now Bristol Rovers coach at 28". Sky Sports . Retrieved on 6 July 2017.
9. "Meet The Instructional Staff" . Retrieved 3 October 2019.
10. "Kentucky Youth Soccer Association Soccer Learning University 2020 Presenters" (PDF). Retrieved 3 October 2019.
11. "The National Administration is continuing its work to give players a program of work for the Corona circumstance" . Retrieved 1 April 2020.
12. "The University holds a new symposium via "video"". 31 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
13. "Life Coaching for Children" . Retrieved 20 June 2017.
14. Whiting, Ian (6 December 2014. ". Telegraph & Argus . Retrieved on 20 June 2017.
15. Eccleshill United (2 December 2014). ". Northern Counties East Football League . Retrieved on 23 June 2017.
16. Whiting, Ian (19 February 2016) ". Telegraph & Argus . Retrieved on 20 June 2017.
17. "A Coach in the U.S. Eastside FC's Gerard Jones" . Retrieved 20 June 2017.
18. "Academy Appoint Head of Coaching" . Retrieved 20 June 2017.
19. Willis, Joe (8 January 2012). "Region's rising stars are honoured by think-tank". The Northern Echo . Retrieved on 20 June 2017.
20. "Ten Outstanding Young Person's of the Year Award Winners" . Retrieved 20 June 2017.
21. "Bristol Rovers". Official website. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
22. "Gérard Jones How augmented verbal instruction can be used by coaches to guide learners' search for performance solutions in football" . Retrieved 21 August 2022.
23. Flockett, Anna (14 July 2022). "Sheffield Hallam PhD Student Launched World-Leading Coach Education Platform" . Retrieved 21 August 2022.
24. "Meet our students: Master of Sports Directorship" . Retrieved 24 November 2023.
25. Frost, Alex (27 June 2019). "Football stars set to graduate from MMU's Master of Sports Directorship degree" . Retrieved 24 November 2023.
26. "Master of Sport Directorship Student Profile" . Retrieved 24 November 2023.

Further reading

• Jones, Gerard (12 April 2015). Let's Talk Soccer: Using Game-Calls to Develop Communication and Decision-Making in Football. Bennion Kearny. ISBN   978-190-9125-62-9.
• Islam, Sabirul (15 February 2012). Young Entrepreneur World: How 25 Teen-Trepreneurs Succeeded and Left World Leaders Scratching Their Heads. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN   978-981-4361-09-5.
• Neustatter, Angela (19 November 2015). The Lifestyle Entrepreneur: How to Turn Your Interests into Money. Gibson Square Books. ISBN   978-178-3340-01-9.