Sunderland

French

Florent Ghisolfi

Director of Football

Arrived at Sunderland in July 2025 after a year as Sporting Director of AS Rom. Has also been Sporting Director at RC Lens and OCG Nice in France, as well as a player for 11 years and Assistant Manager at Lorient for two years. This is where he worked with Le Bris, who was reserve team manager at the time. 

French

Regis Le Bris

Head Coach

Appointed on a three-year contract in the summer of 2024 after two seasons in charge of French club Lorient, who he took to 10th in his first year, but relegation in his second. Played for Rennes and started coaching at the age of 27 with Wasquehal, before returning to Rennes as a youth coach. Moved into a similar role at Lorient, finding success with the youth team before becoming reserve team and then First-Team Manager. 

Italian

Luciano Vulcano

Assistant

Joined from Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he has worked for the previous year. Was Assistant at AC Milan for five years before that. Background is in analysis. 

Spanish

Isidre Ramón Madir

Assistant

Most recent role was as Assistant with the Iraq national team. Background is in analysis, with PSG, An-Sadd, Nice and more.

English

James Brayne

Assistant Coach/Set Piece Coach

Appointed in August 2025 after spending last season as Set Piece Coach at promoted Charlton, where he had previously been Individual Development Coach. Also had two spells at Birmingham City, totalling more than 10 years, and more than two-and-a-half years at Manchester City – all working with the younger age groups.

English

Michael Proctor

Assistant Coach

Former Sunderland striker was promoted to first-team set-up in summer of 2022. Was also given responsibility for co-ordinating the club’s loan programme. Before that, had been coaching in the club’s Academy.

English

Neil Cutler

Goalkeeping Coach

Very experienced keeper coach, who was appointed in July 2025. Before Sunderland, had a short stint with England U20s. Has also worked with Wolves, Aston Villa, West Brom and Walsall. 

Italian

Alessandro Barcherini

Assistant Coach

Appointed as Assistant Coach with responsibility for the team’s defensive unit and individual development plans in July 2025. Joined the club as Head of Goalkeeping from in August 2022 from Leeds United, where he was First Team Assistant Goalkeeping Coach and Head of Academy Goalkeeping. Was a youth player at Notts County and became their Head of Academy Goalkeeping. Then Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach at Stoke and Leeds.

American

Shad Forsythe

Head of First Team Performance

Appointed in September 2025. Wealth of experience having been Arsenal’s Head of High Performance for eight years, and Head of Performance for the Germany national team for 19 years – helping them to win the World Cup in 2014. Spent the past three seasons as Head of Performance at Borussia Dortmund.

English

Mark Boddy

Head of Performance Analysis

Has been with the club since August 2005 after two years as a Performance Analyst at Reading.

English

Rachel Hindle

First Team Performance Analyst

Appointed in September 2022. Combines her role with being women’s U23 coach at Leeds United, having moved from playing to coaching in 2023/24. Previously a Performance Analyst at Manchester Thunder netball team before moving into football and taking up the same role with Bury. Spent nearly six years at Blackburn Rovers, where she started as Lead Academy Analyst and moved through the ranks to become Lead Performance Analyst.

English

Luke Cooper

Senior Performance Coach

Appointed in September 2025. Had brief spells working for Lincoln City, Coventry City and Leicester City, before spending four years with Sheffield Wednesday – the last two as First Team Strength and Conditioning Coach. Previous job was with New York City, where he was Head of Sport Science from July 2020 to February 2025.

Liam Howells

Lead Performance Nutrionist

Appointed in September 2025. Spent the last two years with Munster Rugby, for most of the time as Lead Performance Nutritionist. Was also Performance Nutritionist for Sheffield Eagles rugby league club for two years.

English

Lauren Garner

First Team Performance Psychologist

Appointed in September 2024. Moved to the Stadium of Light after eight months as Lead Men’s Academy Performance Psychologist at Tottenham and two-and-a-half years at Blackburn. Worked in similar roles at rugby league clubs Widnes Vikings and St Helens.

English

Jamie Harley

Head of Performance and Medicine

Appointed in July 2022 after more than 15 years working in the professional game – mainly in the north-east of England. Began his football career at Middlesbrough before spending more than a decade at Newcastle, first as First Team Sports Scientist and then as the club’s Head of Sports Science. He has also worked at Everton and is an Associate Professor of Practive at Durham University.

English

Ben Palmer

Senior Physiotherapist

Another staff member who joined the club in 2022, Ben has previous experience at Scunthorpe United, where he was First Team Physiotherapist for four-and-a-half years, and Huddersfield Town, where he was Academy Physiotherapist for just over a year. Before that he worked as an Academy Physiotherapist on a voluntary and part-time basis at Leeds United.

English

Ross Appleton

Head of Analysis and Insights

Joined the Black Cats in November 2023 for his first job in football following 15 years at Northampton Saints rugby union club. He joined them in 2008 as Lead Performance Analyst before becoming Head of Analysis in July 2012. Previously he worked as a Performance Analyst for the Rugby Football Union for more than six years.