Newcastle United have announced that Jack Ross will take over the job of Head of Football Strategy at St James’ Park.
The 49-year-old first joined the Magpies in 2023 as Head of Coach Development, before he moved to the key position of Head of Strategic Technical Football Partnerships.
In an interview with Newcastle’s media team, Ross was clearly pleased to have been appointed to this new job, as he gave the following statement.
"I am delighted to move to the role of Head of Football Strategy.
"This is an exciting opportunity to help the club build on the outstanding progress and successes it has achieved on and off the pitch in recent seasons.
"We have incredibly high calibre staff here across multiple pillars of the club, and I am looking forward to supporting them in this new position."
What is Ross’ background?
Although he has now taken an off-field role, Jack Ross has both experience of playing and managing in professional football, which will be vital for him to thrive in his new position.
He spent a vast majority of his playing career in the Scottish leagues, aside from a singular season with Hartlepool United, where he made 324 appearances and scored 12 goals across spells at Clyde, Falkirk and St Mirren.
After his retirement he went into management, and he took his first job in senior football in 2015 when he was appointed the manager of Alloa Athletic.
In October 2016, he was then given the manager role at former side St Mirren, and he lead them to the 2017-18 Scottish Championship title before leaving to become manager of Newcastle’s Tyne-Wear rivals Sunderland in May 2018.
However, Ross’ spell in the Northeast was a disappointment as he was unable to get his side promoted, and he was sacked by the Black Cats in October 2019.
Ross was then appointed by Hibernian a month later and guided them to a third-place finish in 2021 and two cup final appearances, but he lost his job in December 2021 after a poor run of form. He was later appointed Dundee United head coach, but he departed after just seven games in charge.
He then took on the role as Head of Coach Development at Newcastle United in 2023, and his career since that point has seen him on an upwards trajectory with the Magpies.
What will he do?
Following his appointment, Jack Ross will now work with **Newcastle United**’s new sporting director to manage the football side of the club.
Indeed, his appointment comes at a tumultuous time in the offices of St James’ Park, as former Sporting Director Paul Mitchell departed the club at the end of June, whilst CEO Darren Eagles is due to step down shortly due to health reasons.
The following statement was posted by the club’s media team to explain the significance of this role in greater detail.
“Reporting into a new Sporting Director, Jack will take on an important leadership role that will help to develop a consistent sporting philosophy across the club.
“He will work within the Football Directorate alongside senior leadership across all sites, supporting communication, collaboration and the implementation of best practice across men's, women's and Academy football.
*“Having previously overseen almost 300 professional matches as a manager, Jack initially joined Newcastle United's Academy’s as Head of Coach Development in March 2023 before moving to the position of Head of Strategic Technical Football Partnerships. He has continued to provide mentorship and strategic support to key staff.*
“In addition to overseeing the club’s player loan and emerging talent strategy, Jack will also lead on building strategic relationships with other clubs, introducing new football development and talent pathway opportunities in the UK and overseas.
“The establishment of this model is aimed at enabling talent depth and retention, as well as supporting the development of Newcastle United's global brand and IP.”