.png)
Leading organisations within professional football recently came together under the Pro Coach Partnership (PCP) to host 60 aspiring coaches at the Coach Index Conference.
The event saw those looking to develop their careers come from across the country to hear from established figures within professional football. It formed part of the wider Coach Index, a PCP initiative designed to support, educate and develop coaches across football, with a particular focus on under-represented groups across both the men’s and women’s game.
Pro Coach Partnership advancing coaching across football
The PCP is a collaboration between the Premier League, The Football Association, EFL, Women’s Super League, WSL 2, Professional Footballers’ Association, League Managers Association, and League Coaches Association. Its goal is to provide world-leading coaching and manager education, development and career pathways for both men’s and women’s professional football, supporting a thriving game led by diverse coaches and managers.
Supporting coaches into the professional game
The Coach Index is a self-registration platform that encourages greater diversity across the coaching workforce and provides members with greater access to opportunities across 78 professional clubs. More than 600 coaches are registered to the platform.
Events like the Coach Index Conference take place to support registered coaches with learning and networking.
The 2026 edition reflected the joined-up approach being taken across the game to create a more diverse and inclusive coaching workforce. This collaborative effort represents the emphasis on broadening the coaching landscape across both the men’s and women’s game.
Attendees heard from established coaches within the Academy system, with a panel from FA EDI Lead – Men’s Game Abdul Fazal and coaches Chazz Mann, Nicole Farley and Courtney Pitt exploring what it means to work at the elite Academy level.
“I spent my first couple of years saying “Yes” to everything…Once you get in that building, it’s important you show the right work ethic not just to do your job but to improve yourself and others” – Courtney Pitt, Academy Coach – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Attendees also heard from Marvin Hamilton and Ling-Fung Wong, coaches coming to the end of their first year on the Professional Player to Coach Scheme (PPCS) and Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme (CIDS) respectively. Both programmes are led by the Premier League – with PPCS in collaboration with the EFL and PFA – and aim to support coaches from under-represented backgrounds with employment and training at clubs.
Marvin and Ling-Fung reflected on their recent immersion into full-time Academy coaching as well as how the Coach Index supported their success in gaining a place on their respective programmes having both attended multiple events before they enrolled on CIDS and PPCS.
Later sessions encouraged the aspiring coaches to think about how they communicate with players, staff and other coaches, as well as recruitment and career progression.
The final panel of the day saw several Academy leaders discuss their experience of coaches who have succeeded within the system. Nimesh Patel (Head of Coach Development at Notts County), Hannah Paterson (Arsenal Women Academy Manager) and Jonathan Hunter-Barrett (Academy Director at Wolverhampton Wanderers) shared their expert insights on personal and career development.
The Coach Index Conference 2026 aimed to create space for aspiring coaches to connect with others on a similar journey, and highlighted the professional game’s commitment to developing a more representative workforce.
