Coach Kicks: Dave Edmondson (Bristol Academy)

The Coach Kicks slot profiles Dave Edmondson, the new Bristol Academy head coach, who holds a UEFA A Licence and is a candidate for the Asian Football Confederation Pro Diploma. Edmondson names an eclectic set of influences: Shankly, Paisley, Rodgers, Mourinho and Guardiola from football, alongside rugby league’s Wayne Bennett, American college basketball’s John Wooden and his former teaching colleague Stuart Lancaster, admiring their commitment to a playing philosophy and their concern for players beyond the game. He avoids coaching manuals, preferring to design sessions specific to his squad, and rates Twitter as a resource. He recounts Bennett’s “jumping fleas” story about not letting others place a ceiling on what you can achieve, describes a favourite 3v3 drop-off game, and names Mana Iwabuchi, Alex Morgan, Beattie Goad and Kate Loye among players who impressed him. He is not superstitious but hates being late.