Quote: Jake the Peg "Pay peanuts and you invariably get monkeys'"
Yup, although when you look at the coaches we have are we paying peanuts, or are we paying over the odds?
Taken from HullFC.com
COACHING STAFF
Richard Agar (Head Coach)
Sponsor: VP Association
Richard has been with the club since 2005. He did a magnificent job when stepping into the head coach’s job after the departure of John Kear in the early part of the 2006 season. The team transformed into a winning side winning three of the four games he was in charge.
He was assistant to Peter Sharp from March 2006 until May, 2008, when he was handed the Head Coaches job. Despite a horror injury list he guided Hull to the Carnegie Challenge Cup final at Wembley against St Helens. He specialises in analysing individual player performances, which is paramount in helping to develop the team’s overall success.
Coaching Career:
Featherstone Lions
England Students coach
England Academy
Yorkshire Academy (Head Coach)
York City Knights (Head Coach)
Assistant coach:
Featherstone Rovers
Jon Sharp (Football Operations Manager)
Sponsor: VP Association
Returned to the club as Football Operations Manager after a 13-year absence. During a 10-year playing career with Hull FC, which started in 1984, he made 251 appearances and was a member of the Premiership Trophy winning team in 1991. Sharp was assistant to Ian Millward at St Helens until he took over from Tony Smith as Head Coach at Huddersfield.
In five years with the Giants he took them to the Challenge Cup final in 2006 - the clubs first major final in 40 years - and the following year they made the play offs for the first time. He was assistant to Brian Noble with Great Britain
Coaching career:
Huddersfield Giants - Head Coach
St Helens - Assistant coach
Great Britain - Assistant coach
Andy Last (Academy Head Coach)
Sponsor: VP Association
Andy Last signed for Hull FC as a junior player on 25th March 1998 from amateur team Eureka, making his debut in August 1999. Andy made 29 appearances, scoring 4 tries. His last appearance for the first team was in the 2004 season, which then saw him stepping over to the coaching team.
His main duty is as Reserves (U21’s) coach where he has seen some great success, taking the junior side to three on the bounce Grand Final appearances winning two out of the three.
The experience he has acquired working with the first team coaching staff will set him up for further coaching roles. We might see an all Hull team with a Hull born coach in the future.
Coach Career:
Hull FC U21’s
Steve Crooks (Player Performance Manager)
Sponsor: Please contact Fiona Coupland, Commercial Manager (01482 304964)
Steve joined the club as a player from neighbours Hull KR before being appointed A team coach by Australian Brian Smith.
It gave him invaluable experience before he took up the post as player-coach with York, a position he held until he returned to his home-town as Head Coach with Hull KR.
Steve took Hull KR to Wembley but was then brought back to the Boulevard by former chairman Tim Wilby.
He was Player Performance Manager but in May 1999, Steve took over as Head Coach after the departure of Peter Walsh. He remained in the job until December of that year when Hull merged with Gateshead Thunder and Shaun McRae became the new Head Coach.
Steve reverted back to his position of Player Performance Manager, spearheading the clubs successful youth development programme, which has seen many local youngsters progress through to the Super League side. Thirteen of the current squad have come through the system.
Coaching Career:
Hull FC
Hull KR
York
Ben Cooper (Strength & Conditioner Coach)
Sponsor: Please contact Fiona Coupland, Commercial Manager (01482 304964)
After a playing career with Huddersfield Giants and Leigh Centurions, Ben hung up his boots in 2006 to concentrate on his coaching career. He has worked in all grades for the Giants and was the driving force behind their high fitness and strength levels.
He has earned tremendous respect and has a growing reputation in the last couple of years and he is also well known to Jon Sharp having worked alongside him at the Giants.
Coaching career:
Huddersfield Giants
Simon Pope (Physiotherapist)
Sponsor: Smith & Nephew
Simon was brought to the club by Shaun McRae in 2001 as head Physiotherapist. Now a Rugby League convert Simon works very hard to ensure the players recover as quickly as possible after injuries. His role consists of daily support at training and matchday assistance.
In 2007 Simon signed a three-year contract keeping him at the club until 2010. Having Simon on board for a further two years at least is a big bonus for the club as he is regarded as one of the best in the business.
Simon really did earn his money last season when Hull went through their worst injury run in living memory. On many occasions he had more people in his treatment room than the coaches had out of the training field.
Career History:
Physio:
Chelsea
Fulham
Oldham
Barnsley
So, only Simon Pope has ever been at a "big" club.
