The Coaches Network Podcast

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by  Liam Bloye , Head of Coach & Player Development at  Cambridge United FC . With experience across England, the US, and Australia, Liam shares honest reflections on leadership, learning through experience, and what it really means to support coaches, players, and parents within an academy environment. This conversation explores the balance between profess...

In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with  Dr. Stephen Harvey , a globally respected coach educator and researcher known for his work on  game-centred approaches ,  Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) , and reflective practice in coaching. Stephen brings decades of experience in sport pedagogy, coach education, and applied research. Together, they explore what it means to  teach the game throu...

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by  Ruben Ward-Lindsay , a coach working across academy football, semi-professional men’s football, and education. From his role with Watford’s U10s to his coaching at Biggleswade United and his full-time work as a PE teacher in alternative provision, Ruben brings a powerful blend of lived experience, empathy, and practical insight. This conversation dives into...

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by  Kurtis Millan , an individual development coach currently based in Sweden at Hammarby IF. Kurtis shares his unique journey from coaching in Ireland and the U.S., to working with players across multiple levels and cultures, combining professional experience with a learner-focused coaching philosophy. This conversation explores player autonomy, the value of d...

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by  John Murphy , a highly experienced coach and educator whose career spans MLS, US Soccer, and the UEFA pathway. With roots in both the US and UK, John brings a unique dual-perspective shaped by decades in professional environments, university soccer, and coach education. This conversation explores the art of  keeping coaching simple , designing meaningful pl...

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Danny Barham, a coach and performance analyst with over a decade of experience in professional football. From his early days in performance analysis at Birmingham City to coaching across multiple Academy setups, Danny shares his unique perspective on the game, the industry, and the mindset required to succeed in coaching. This conversation dives deep into se...

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by  Richard Cheetham MBE , Senior Fellow in Sports Coaching at the University of Winchester and one of the most respected voices in coach development across the UK. Richard brings decades of experience working across multiple sports — from cycling to rugby to high-performance environments — and offers a refreshingly human, reflective, and deeply practical look...

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by  Ebun Thomas , Assistant Head of Academy & Head of Coach Development at Doncaster Rovers. Ebun shares his journey from starting out as a grassroots coach at just 16 to now leading the development of coaches in a professional academy environment. This conversation dives deep into accountability, standards, mentorship, and what truly shapes a coach’s long-...

In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with  Francis Aderiye , Academy Coach, Non-League First Team Coach, and lifelong student of the game. From a knee injury that redirected his path into coaching at just 16, to now balancing roles across academy and senior football, Francis brings honesty, curiosity, and deep reflection to this conversation about coaching, development, and the ever-evolving natur...

In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with  Sara Hilton , Senior Lecturer in Football & Coaching Science at  Wrexham University , FAW Coach Educator, and UEFA A Licence Coach. Drawing from her journey as a former international footballer turned coach developer, Sara offers an honest and insightful take on the realities of  coach education , the  importance of mentoring , and how the profession...

🎙  Episode 370: Jamie Bird | The Future of Performance Analysis in Football In this episode of  The Coaches Network Podcast , CoachYas is joined by rising performance analyst  Jamie Byrne , a dynamic young professional carving a path in elite football. At just 23 years old, Jamie has already worked with clubs such as  Birmingham City Women ,  Crystal Palace , and currently supports  AAFP in Colomb...

🎙  Episode 369: Tony Caig | Developing Goalkeepers for the Modern Game In this episode of The Coaches Network Podcast, CoachYas is joined by  Tony Caig , current  Head of Academy Goalkeeping at Newcastle United  and  National Team Goalkeeping Coach for Northern Ireland Men’s Senior Team . With a playing and coaching career spanning decades, Tony brings a wealth of experience from both the pitch an...

🎙️  Episode 368 – Creating Football Learning Situations with Mark Schuur In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with Dutch coach  Mark Schuur  to explore what it means to create  learning-centred , game-relevant environments for players. With a background in PE teaching and academy coaching, Mark shares insights from his journey through the Dutch coaching landscape, including his time at FC Utrecht...

🎙 Episode 367 – Dr. Peter Sear | Empathic Leadership, Ego & Coaching with Compassion In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with Dr. Peter Sear—founder of The Empathic Coach and a specialist in empathy, leadership, and high-performance environments. Together, they explore what it  really  means to lead with empathy in elite sport, and how ego, emotion, and compassion shape the environments we cr...

🎙  Episode 366 – Danny Pilgrim | Commentary vs. Coaching, Self-Awareness & Using Coach Developers In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Danny Pilgram (Birmingham City FC Academy Coach & Non-League First Team Coach) for a grounded, honest and insightful conversation about the journey of becoming a coach—and what it really means to  coach , not just  commentate . Danny shares reflections f...

🎙  Episode 365 – Steve Whelan | Coach Identity, Trust & Creating Environments for Growth In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with Steve Whelan (Senior Coach Developer & Leadership Specialist) to explore what it really takes to develop coaches and build trust-filled environments where people thrive. With a background spanning high-performance sport, corporate leadership, and coach developm...

🎙 Episode 364 – Alex Stylianou & Darren Murray | Objectivity, Mentorship & the Complexity of Modern Coaching In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with  Alex Stylianou  (UEFA A Licence Holder) and  Darren Murray  (UEFA A Licence Holder) to explore what it  really  means to develop as a coach in today’s complex, content-heavy world. Alex and Darren bring unique perspectives from working acro...

🎙  Episode 363 – Jake Lister | Designing a Coaching Curriculum That Actually Works In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with Jake Lister, Youth Pathway Lead at Sheffield United Women's Academy, to unpack the realities of curriculum design in elite football environments. Jake shares how he moved beyond traditional linear curriculum models to co-creating a living, breathing framework that evolve...

🎙  Episode 362 - Professor Andy Abraham | The Art of Professional Judgement in Coaching In this follow-up episode, Coach Yas reconnects with Professor Andy Abraham to dig deeper into the nuanced world of coaching, professional judgement, and decision-making. Andy expands on the idea of  coaches making "bets" —calculated decisions based on their perceptions, prior experiences, and contextua...

🎙️  Episode 361: Andy Abraham | Evolving Coach Education, Judgement, and Trust in Development In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with  Professor Andy Abraham , Head of Subject for Physical Education & Sports Coaching at Leeds Beckett University, to explore the shifting landscape of coach education, professional judgement, and what it really takes to support coaching excellence. 🧠 With over ...

🎙️  Episode 360 – Fishbowling & Unlocking Coaching Potential with Russell Earnshaw Welcome back to  The Coaches Network Podcast ! In this special episode, Coach Yas is joined once again by the ever-insightful  Russell Earnshaw  – known to many as  Rusty  – for a rich conversation exploring what it truly means to coach with purpose, flexibility, and curiosity. 🔑  What’s Inside This Episode? Ru...

🎙  Episode 359: Creating Coaching Cultures That Care – with Temisan Williams (Coach Accelerator) In this episode, CoachYas is joined by  Temisan Williams , founder of  Coach Accelerator  and a seasoned academy coach with over 15 years of experience across clubs like Tottenham, Southend United, and Fulham. Temisan shares his powerful journey from aspiring footballer to coach, diving into the person...

Episode #358 of The Coaches Network Podcast. The guest for this episode is Adam Kelly. Adam is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise and Course Leader for Professional Doctorate in Sport (DSport) at Birmingham City University, United Kingdom. I am also Leader of the newly established  BCU Research for Athlete and Youth Sport Development (RAYSD) Lab . Alongside completing a PhD at the Univer...

Episode #356 of The Coaches Network Podcast. The guest for this episode is Sarah Murray. Sarah Murray is a high performance coach and experienced performance psychologist. Sarah works with teams, individuals and leaders to enhance and develop understanding of themselves and those they lead. She uses her expertise to develop high performance people, pathways and leaders. Her aim is to enable indivi...

Episode #354 of The Coaches Network Podcast. The guest for this episode is Stephen Maxwell. Stephen is a Lifelong Learning enthusiast, Coach Education Manager with Cricket Ireland, Founder and Creator of No Other Game Around, Performance Analyst, Coach Developer across multiple sports and High Performance Coach. Join us as Stephen shares his thoughts on how coach and coach developers can uphold hi...