New Head Coach for Academy

[Leisure]

Jimmy Hunter takes up key role

Burnley Football Club can confirm that Jimmy Hunter has taken up the position of Head of Coaching within our Academy, as it prepares to return to Category One status next season.

Hunter arrives in Burnley with more than 13 years’ experience at Category One level with Stoke City, alongside further positions with the Welsh FA and other professional clubs.

Explaining why he wanted to join the Clarets, he said: “I am excited to be joining a club with ambition and potential.

“It has had a good season, not only in terms of the first team gaining promotion to the Premier League but also the Academy achieving Category One status.

“I am looking forward to the challenge of supporting our programme with the aim of becoming an even higher performing academy in the future.

“The area’s a strong one for players and I’ve worked with Chris (Casper – Academy Manager) previously too. There’s a lot of good work in place here and it should just be about building on that.”

After a semi-professional playing career, Hunter started his off-field journey in football as a Coach Developer for the Welsh FA.

The role included looking after the coach development programme for regional and national teams, and Hunter progressed to being Assistant Technical Programmes Manager for Wales.

From there came spells at Derby County, Chester and Wrexham, before a move to Stoke City. After a year part time in the Potteries, he spent most of his 13 full-time years there as the Head of Coaching.

Explaining what the job entails, he continued: “It’s quite broad and varied.

“A big thing is overseeing the development of the coaching philosophy and working with staff to develop their skills, so that they can deliver to the highest level and ensure consistency from the U9s to the U21s.

“The audit report’s come back and there’s nothing that stands out majorly there, so we’re looking forward to challenging ourselves against the best.

“The schoolboy programme won’t change much next season but for the U18s and U21s, who have both had strong seasons at Category Two level, the levels will go up.

“We expect the players to step up and embrace that, and as a group of staff we will too to ensure that we give the kids the best opportunity possible.”


Hunter finished by reflecting on the link between the academy and the first team, with seven U21s featuring in one of Scott Parker’s matchday squads during the 2024/25 season.

“We’re here to prepare players for the first team, so there has to be some togetherness and clarity on that for the players,” he said.

“The first team’s aim is to win games of football, and we have to prepare our players for that environment later down the line.

“However, they’re not first team players now so they have to be treated like the young people they are. They’re developing from a social side, as well as their football.

“It’s also about that alignment throughout the age groups, so that when they do step up it’s not as difficult.”

[ClaretTony]

I’m not sure who has been doing that job since Ian Jones left two years ago to join the Professional Game Academy Audit Company.

[NewClaret]

Sounds a solid appointment if Stoke have been category one for 13 years. Although I can’t remember a huge amount of players coming through Stokes system in that time.

Very sensible words from him though. Welcome to Burnley, Jimmy.

[Andingle]

I’m not sure who has been doing that job since Ian Jones left two years ago to join the Professional Game Academy Audit Company.

Ash Higgins was doing it till he left in November last year.

[ClaretTony]

Ash Higgins was doing it till he left in November last year.

Did he replace Ian Jones? Have we had no one since?

I think Ash Higgins had worked in our academy, left and came back.

[Andingle]

Did he replace Ian Jones? Have we had no one since?

I think Ash Higgins had worked in our academy, left and came back.

Yes he left to Join Liverpool then returned 18 month later as Assistant to Ian Jones , he took over the role as Head of Coaching on Ian Jones departure.
He left around November 2024 to take a role as Coach developer with the FA.

[Spike]

We seem more serious at building an Academy this time .
Am I correct in thinking that we let things slip

[ClaretTony]

We seem more serious at building an Academy this time .
Am I correct in thinking that we let things slip

We got it wrong - simple as that.

[ClaretTony]

Yes he left to Join Liverpool then returned 18 month later as Assistant to Ian Jones , he took over the role as Head of Coaching on Ian Jones departure.
He left around November 2024 to take a role as Coach developer with the FA.

I thought I knew the name - Ian was with us a while, think he came from Blackburn. I got on well with him.

[Andingle]

I thought I knew the name - Ian was with us a while, think he came from Blackburn. I got on well with him.

Yes 5 years , came from Blackburn he was a doughnut in fairness.

[Spijed]

How much will it cost each season to run as Cat 1?

[ClaretTony]

Yes 5 years , came from Blackburn he was a doughnut in fairness.

Probably why I got on with him so well

[Vegas Claret]

Sounds a solid appointment if Stoke have been category one for 13 years. Although I can’t remember a huge amount of players coming through Stokes system in that time.

Very sensible words from him though. Welcome to Burnley, Jimmy.

I wonder how many they sold on that time, sounds like that is a huge part of the job

[Andingle]

How much will it cost each season to run as Cat 1?

I think minimum is 2 to 3M a season but its how much over that you want to spend , some of the bigger clubs spend upwards of 15M .

[123EasyasBFC]

I wonder how many they sold on that time, sounds like that is a huge part of the job

Nathan Collins being sold from strike to Burnley is one but you right I can’t think of anyone else coming through from Stoke that we all know about

[NewClaret]

I wonder how many they sold on that time, sounds like that is a huge part of the job

Yeah, I’m no expert on Stoke’s youth system but I’m not aware they have a great record.

I’d perhaps have expected us to fill that role from either City or United, perhaps as someone taking a step up in to it, given their proximity and records of bringing young players in to the first team. Not that I know much about Head Coach appointment at Cat 1 academies

[ClaretTony]

Yeah, I’m no expert on Stoke’s youth system but I’m not aware they have a great record.

I’d perhaps have expected us to fill that role from either City or United, perhaps as someone taking a step up in to it, given their proximity and records of bringing young players in to the first team. Not that I know much about Head Coach appointment at Cat 1 academies

It’s not Head Coach but Head of Coaching and is probably THE key position in an academy.

[NewClaret]

It’s not Head Coach but Head of Coaching and is probably THE key position in an academy.

Yes, I did think that but copied the title used in the subject line for consistency.

Does it basically mean he’s all the Academy coaches boss? I’m a bit confused as to what Chris Casper does in this context, to be honest.

[wadeswondergoal]

Does the head of coaching not oversee the coaches, ensuring that they are coaching to the correct level against the syllabus agreed or set by Casper?

[NewClaret]

Does the head of coaching not oversee the coaches, ensuring that they are coaching to the correct level against the syllabus agreed or set by Casper?

I assume so, but I’m not sure what else that leaves Casper to do

[ClaretTony]

Does the head of coaching not oversee the coaches, ensuring that they are coaching to the correct level against the syllabus agreed or set by Casper?

Will work very much in tandem with Casper and will oversee all the coaching which will include developing the coaches within the academy and implementing the coaching philosophy.

[ClaretTony]

Ian Jones, mentioned on this thread, is back with a Cat 1 academy having been appointed Head of Methodology & Alignment at Birmingham working alongside Mike Rigg.

[warksclaret]

Why did I get shivers up my spine when the name Mike Rigg was quoted