Academy Manager Murray returns for fourth stint at Oldham
Murray was most recently Head of Recruitment (15s to 23s) at Blackpool
Written by Training Ground Guru — June 9, 2023
PAUL MURRAY has returned to Oldham Athletic as Academy Manager.
This will be his fourth stint at the club. He was a player for the Latics for two-and-a-half years, helping Iain Dowie’s side reach the 2003 Second Division play-off semi-finals.
He returned as reserve team boss and then assistant manager to Lee Johnson in 2013, before becoming manager of Hartlepool United. Then he was Academy Manager from 2019 to 2021 - a role he is now taking up again.
First-team manager David Unsworth has led the recruitment for the role for the National League club.
He said: “I know Paul through my time working in football, and I can’t stress what a good guy he is. I spoke to over 10 people about him, and not one of them had a bad thing to say about him. He’s really passionate about working with young players, but he’s also passionate about doing what’s best for Oldham Athletic.
“The Academy needs a lot of work, in the short and long-term, and Paul is key to that - he’s a vital cog in the machine. I’m delighted that he’s agreed to come back.”
Murray, who has been Head of Recruitment for the 15s to 23s at Blackpool for the last two years, said: “I’m really pleased to be back at Oldham Athletic. I looked at the club, and the direction it’s going in, and it’s definitely going places.”
He replaces Louis Dean, who stepped down from the role for personal reasons in April. Dean had joined the club in February 2022 as Under-19s boss, before being promoted to Academy Manager in September. He had previously worked as an Academy coach for Charlton and Chelsea.
In April, the Latics said they would “continue to support” their Category Three Academy despite a fall in funding next season because they are remaining in the National League.
The club placed 56th in TGG’s Academy Productivity Rankings for 2021/22 out of 80 teams.
