Rangers appoint Lincoln’s Fry as their first Set Piece Coach

Fry started as Set Piece Coach at the start of 2024/25 and his success has inevitably attracted attention. Lincoln said they had already rebuffed a number of approaches for his services.

Fry originally joined Lincoln as a Goalkeeper Coach, having previously been Head of Academy Goalkeeping at Wolves.

In announcing his appointment, Rangers said they had conducted “a detailed recruitment process” that involved analysing teams across the UK and Europe who had “consistently outperformed in their set-plays.”

Head Coach Röhl was “heavily involved” in the process to appoint Rangers’ first ever Set Piece Coach, the club said. 

Lincoln have really focused on set pieces in recent seasons, as they explained in an article with TGG at the start of this year. The club have been using an AI tool that analyses thousands of set pieces from around the world, using the information to influence the team both in training and on matchday.

Fry had played an important role in developing the tool and using it to influence the design of the team’s set pieces. 

Head Coach Michael Skubala told TGG: “It’s a tool we’re using to try and give us an edge in the league. League One is a league that is very direct and very aerially dominant.

“So we try and find an edge wherever we can, but we have to bring it in-house and use it to make sure that it’s just not a piece of paper and the edge becomes the alignment between the resource and how we deliver that on the pitch. That’s the most important thing, how we align the two.”

Lincoln will receive compensation for the rest of Fry’s contract and said he left the club with their best wishes.

Director of Football Jez George said: “We went on a journey together in terms of our use of AI to improve our processes and design of set plays, which resulted in outstanding outcomes and inevitably attracted the attention of other clubs.  

“Scott made it clear that it would take a life-changing offer for him to leave and, while we have managed to rebuff a number of approaches, we respect that Rangers have provided him with an opportunity that he can’t turn down.

“We thank Scott for his contribution to our continued development over the past four seasons, the culture that he has embedded regarding set plays and sincerely wish him well for this next challenge.”