Coventry sack Robins as they seek Head Coach not Manager
Written by
Simon Austin
November 7, 2024
Coventry City have sacked Mark Robins as they seek a Head Coach, rather than a Manager, who is willing to work within their ‘new structure’.
Under the ownership of Chairman Doug King, who took over in January 2023, Coventry have attempted to move away from a ‘manager-led’ model . Previously, Robins had been in control of the football side of the business, including first-team recruitment, staffing and strategy.
Sessions with: Rhys Carr, Russell Martin, Saul Isaksson-Hurst, Matt Crocker, Leigh Bromby and Shayne Hall/ Austin Fuller.
He achieved great success relative to budget during almost eight years with the club, winning two promotions and reaching both an FA Cup semi-final and a Championship play-off final, and was the longest-serving manager in the second tier.
King’s revamp has involved beefing up club structures around the manager, with Dr Claire-Marie Roberts, the former Head of Elite Development at the Premier League, appointed as Performance Director in February 2024.
In the summer, the club revamped their first-team coaching set-up, with Robins’ long-time Assistant, Adi Viveash, exiting after seven years. Incoming were club appointments George Boateng and Rhys Carr, who were both named First Team Coach.
Carr, who presented at TGG’s Individual Development Webinar in 2021, has been named Interim Head Coach following Robins’ departure. Carr was previously Individual Development Coach at Wolves and Sheffield United and Head of Sport Science at Bristol City.
The club also advertised for a Head of First Team Coaching in the summer, although this role has not yet been filled.
In a statement, Coventry said they had “made the difficult decision to terminate the contract of Mark Robins as manager with immediate effect.”
“Mark masterminded and built several teams that outperformed their budget."
Coventry City
They added: “Since 2017, Mark has overseen the resurrection of Coventry City Football Club from the depths of League Two, to Champions of League One and to a hair’s breadth away from both the Premier League and a second FA Cup Final, whilst competing in the Championship for a fifth consecutive season.
“Mark masterminded and built several teams over that time that outperformed their budget, outperformed their infrastructure and brought back a playing style, credibility and belief to our City that had been lost and eroded over many years.
“These achievements will never be forgotten by those who witnessed such deeds and the broader community that once again began to rekindle their affection for our Club.
“There is no doubt that Coventry City today would not be where it is today without the inspired actions of Mark and his team. The club is well aware that this is a difficult moment after over seven very successful years at the helm and this decision is not taken lightly.”
Coventry are 17th in the Championship after a disappointing start to the season.
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