Cave appointed permanent Sporting Director at Brighton
Written by
Simon Austin
July 6, 2026
Brighton have appointed Mike Cave as their permanent Sporting Director, four weeks after he stepped up to cover the role following the departure of Jason Ayto.
Ayto left Brighton on June 3rd, having spent just nine months in the role after joining from Arsenal the previous September. His remit had been to oversee “all footballing areas” at Brighton, including player recruitment, performance and medical provision across men’s, women’s and Academy.
Cave, who had been Technical Director since September 2025, was placed in interim charge of all sporting areas at the time of Ayto’s exit.
Announcing Cave’s permanent appointment, Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman Paul Barber said: “We are delighted that Mike’s responsibilities are increasing. In his four years here, Mike has developed exceptionally well and is well respected inside and outside of our club.
“Mike has extensive knowledge of our club’s sporting operations which will serve him well in his new role. Mike’s responsibilities have expanded over time and he continues to impress with his knowledge, enthusiasm and capacity for hard work. I am looking forward to continuing to work even more closely with Mike in to the future.”
Cave, who will report directly to Barber, added: “Throughout my time here, Tony Bloom and Paul Barber have put a huge amount of trust in me to play my part in delivering their vision for the club.
“I’ve also been fortunate to work for and closely with the likes of David Weir and Jason Ayto, both of whom I have a lot of respect for.
“This is an exceptionally exciting role to be taking on – with the continued opportunity to work with staff across the club who are leaders in their respective fields – one impossible to turn down.
“The work for the new season is already well underway and I am looking forward to seeing what it will bring.”
Cave’s career to date
Cave graduated from Loughborough University with a degree and master’s in Sports Science and Sports Management before joining International Management Group (IMG), where he held roles in both the consulting and media sales divisions.
After six years with IMG, Cave joined Fulham in 2014 as Academy Performance Manager, having also worked as a part-time coach in the Youth Development Phase. He progressed through the ranks at Fulham’s Academy and was appointed Academy Director in August 2021.
Cave joined Brighton in November 2022 as Assistant Technical Director, initially reporting to then Technical Director David Weir. He was promoted to Technical Director last September, with a remit covering all technical areas including the men’s and women’s teams, both Academies, and men’s first-team medical and performance.
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