Collis takes sole charge of Birmingham Academy after Rigg exit
Written by
Simon Austin
August 27, 2026
Mike Rigg will leave his role as Birmingham City’s Academy Technical Director at the end of August, with Academy Manager Louisa Collis (pictured) stepping up to take sole charge.
Rigg, the former Al Jazira, Burnley, Manchester City and QPR Technical Director, joined the Blues Academy in April 2024 and helped them return to Category One status a year later. They had been demoted to Cat 2 under the club’s previous ownership in 2022.
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With his remit having been fulfilled, Rigg has now decided it is the “right time to leave”, just a few months before the expiry of his contract.
He will remain at the club for “several weeks” after his Academy exit to support first-team operations. This is the second senior exit at Birmingham in under three months, with Craig Gardner having left as Director of Football on June 5th. The Championship club are still yet to name a successor.
Mike Rigg: Brought in to help secure a return to Cat 1 status
The Academy will now be led by Academy Manager Collis, who presented at TGG Live 2025. Birmingham said Collis has “a deep understanding of the club’s players, staff and performance pathway” and is “exceptionally well placed to lead this next phase of the Academy’s development.”
She started at the club as Academy Secretary from 2014 to 2017 and returned in February 2022 in the same role. In 2023 she was promoted to Academy Manager Non-Football and then to Academy Manager a year later.
Reporting into her “in the short term” will be Senior Pathway to Professional and Under-21s Coach Scott Sellars, Head of Academy Coaching Mike Scott, Head of Performance, Medicine and Analysis Matt Cook and Emerging Talent Manager Ainsley Cooper.
Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Dale said: “In Tom Wagner’s letter to supporters in May 2023, one of his commitments was to invest in the Academy and create an environment where talented young local players could flourish and realise their ambitions.
“Mike and his team embraced that challenge and played an instrumental role in delivering Category One status for the Club, the benefits of which will be felt for many years to come.
“He brought a wealth of experience to Birmingham City Football Club and helped establish a strong and talented technical leadership team. His insight, expertise and support have been of immense value to our Academy staff, and he built positive relationships with coaches, players and parents throughout his time here.
“I would like to thank Mike for his contribution to the Academy, and I have relied on his support working with the First Team staff during the summer and the pre-season period. Mike will continue to offer that support for several more weeks.”
Rigg added: “A lot has been achieved in the Academy in recent years, and I feel now is the right time to step away from the role. My remit when I joined in 2024 was to help guide the club through the Category One application process and bring the technical expertise required to strengthen and enhance the Academy programme. I am proud that we have achieved those objectives.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as Academy Technical Director and leave knowing that the framework, foundations, people and resources are all in place for the Academy to compete with the very best in the country.
“I would like to thank the staff, players and parents for their incredible support, as well as Knighthead and Jeremy Dale for giving me the opportunity to play a part in the club’s journey.”
- Watch Louisa Collis’s full presentation at TGG Live ’25 – and all others – by becoming a TGG Member. Find out how by clicking HERE
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