Eddie Jones’ training co-ordinator, legendary hockey coach Danny Kerry, may quit England rugby after just weeks
Despite only joining the England set up in October, legendary hockey coach Danny Kerry is understood to want to leave his position as training co-ordinator.
A coach hired by the Rugby Football Union to improve the culture in the England dressing room is understood to be considering leaving the role only six weeks after taking it.
Danny Kerry, who joined as training co-ordinator on October 17, before the start of the autumn internationals, is one of the most respected coaches in UK sport. He led the Great Britain women’s hockey team to bronze at the 2012 Olympics and then gold at the Rio Games four years later.
Kerry is known for being strong on culture and working environment – which has been seen as a key area requiring improvement for England under Eddie Jones. However, The Times understands that Kerry nearly resigned at the beginning of November and it is believed he is still considering his position. Before joining the England set-up, he spent 17 years overseeing GB hockey.
In a separate development, Jones has also been informed that England’s team doctor, Richard Tingay, resigned from his role after the conclusion of the autumn Tests, which ended in convincing defeat by South Africa.
Jones governs a notoriously tough working environment and has lost many staff along the way during his seven years in charge. Before the autumn series, he had already been informed by Anthony Seibold, his defence coach, that he would be leaving.
Jones’s own position is under review by an RFU panel, which is due to decide on his future within a fortnight. His pounds 750,000-a-year contract expires after next year’s World Cup.
Losing Kerry would be a huge blow to England, given his status. When he was appointed, Jones said: “His depth and breadth of coaching knowledge will be a real asset to us as staff as we work towards becoming the best coaching team in the world.” There is no other coach in international rugby who has changed assistants and consultants at the rate that Jones does. His turnover of medics and psychologists has been particularly high. Before the last World Cup, he lost the team doctor less than a month before kick-off. These jobs are regarded as some of the most highly sought after and best paid in world rugby.
When asked to comment on the departure of Tingay and also, possibly, of Kerry, an RFU spokesperson said: “While the review of the Autumn Nations Series is ongoing we would not comment on this.”
Kerry, who also declined to comment, has previously said the key to turning Great Britain into Olympic hockey champions was changing his coaching style. He went from being a stern disciplinarian to someone who sought to nurture a supportive dressing room.
In an interview with the RFU, he said: “My skills around relationships, managing people, managing groups and empowering athletes were not good enough. I was adamant I was going to become the best coach I could be in every facet imaginable, and particularly starting with trying to empower athletes and trying to get them to own their performance.”
Originally published as Eddie Jones’ training co-ordinator, legendary hockey coach Danny Kerry, may quit England rugby after just weeks
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