Danny Schofield has been appointed as the Central Coast Mariners A-League assistant coach, assisting Mark Jackson, with whom he worked for a brief spell at Leeds United.
As a player, Schofield operated as a winger or midfielder and made more than 400 professional appearances in the English Football League between 1998 and 2015.
He started in non-league before being recruited by Yorkshire club Huddersfield Town, where he played 248 games.
Schofield also represented Yeovil Town, Millwall, Rotherham United, Accrington Stanley and Stockport in the English Football League.
He began his coaching career whilst still playing professionally for Rotherham, as he took on work with Barnsley FC’s academy.
In 2016 he made the full-time move into coaching, starting at Leeds as the club’s U15s and U16s coach, before being promoted to Professional Development Phase Coach, where he worked alongside Spaniard Carlos Corberan.
Under the guidance of Corberan and Schofield, Leeds’ U23 team was crowned National Professional Development League Champions in England in 2019.
Following that success, Schofield left Leeds to take on a new challenge with Middlesbrough FC as their U23 Lead Coach, before later joining Huddersfield Town, the club where he spent more than nine years as a player.
In July 2020, he made the step up to the first team as he took charge of Huddersfield’s final game of the 2019/20 championship season, following the sacking of Danny Cowley.
Cowley’s permanent replacement was announced as Corberan in August 2020, the Spaniard reuniting with Schofield and immediately promoting him to First Team Professional Development Coach, as well as Huddersfield B Team Head Coach.
Upon Corberan’s departure from Huddersfield in July 2022, Schofield was given the Head Coach role permanently.
Unfortunately, after a tough start he was relieved of his duties but bounced straight back into management with his hometown club Doncaster Rovers.
Schofield managed to stave off relegation in his first season in charge but departed the club this Summer.
He now arrives on the Central Coast to assist Jackson, after turning down several coaching roles in England and across Europe in favour of the opportunity to join the Mariners.
Schofield said he was excited to join the Mariners.
“It’s a totally different challenge (to working in England or Europe),” he said.
“All my playing and coaching career had been in England.
“To come all the way around the other side of the world and to coach in Australia was something I’ve always thought about in the back of my mind and the opportunity came at the right time.”
He said he and Jackson had very similar ideas on how they wanted to coach.
“We both challenge each other in different ways, but being aligned is the most important thing and to get the opportunity to work with him is great,” he said.
Jackson said they had recently spent a lot of time together, watching and discussing football.
“When the opportunity came up for me to come to the Mariners, I knew I needed a certain type of person with me, for my development as a manager and what I need to support me, and Danny fits that bill,” he said.
“He’s a fantastic coach, he understands the game and we have got alignment in how we see the game being played.”
Well done Mariners. haveing a proven coaching team is a good move following on Montys’ success last season.