Bobby Crutchley Appointed Men's Hockey Head Coach
Great Britain and England Hockey are delighted to announce that, following a comprehensive external recruitment process, Bobby Crutchley has been appointed to the role of head coach of the GB and England men’s team. Crutchley, 42, has been an assistant coach to the senior men’s programme since 2005 and was part of the Great Britain coaching staff at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He succeeds Jason Lee who was recently appointed as head coach of the senior women’s squad.
As Head Coach of the men’s programme, Crutchley will be responsible for the selection, preparation, coaching and performance of the England and GB teams and senior national squad, and the teams’ results in international competitions. The position will see the former Bath Buccaneers and University of Bath coach lead the programme for the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle taking in the 2013 and 2015 European Championships, the World Cup and Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. His first major tournament in charge will be the FIH Hockey World League semi final in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, from 29th June – 7th July.
Danny Kerry, GB and England Hockey Performance Director, said: "I am really excited about Bobby’s appointment. Fundamentally he believes in the athletes and the programme we have and that is the key building block for success. Bobby demonstrated not just an in-depth understanding of the challenges that come with this leadership position but also a genuine insight into what needs to and can happen. The insight that our coaches have to coaching and leading at this highest of levels, I believe, are a competitive edge that will stand us in good stead over the coming years. I look forward to working with Bobby and feel the programme and team is in the most capable and ambitious of hands."
Speaking after being appointed, Crutchley said: "As someone who has a strong passion for coaching and for hockey in Great Britain, I am absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity. With personnel changes, following the London Olympics, there will be significant challenges, particularly in the short term. However, I am confident that the team can evolve to continue to challenge for medals at the highest level."