Coach joins to aid professional development stage
Coach Frankie Bunn has joined the Huddersfield Town Academy to help guide the Club's scholars in their professional development phase.
Birmingham-born Frankie, 49, joins as Professional Development Coach, which will see him work with the Club's under-18 team as part of a new Academy structure that fits in with the Elite Player Performance Plan.
In his role Frankie will work closely with Senior Professional Development Coach Steve Eyre, who he knows from previous spells together at Manchester City and Rochdale, as well as Academy Manager Mark Lillis and the rest of the Academy staff.
Huddersfield Town's Academy Manager Mark Lillis outlined the new Academy structure today:
"We're delighted to have a coach of Frankie's quality on board at the Academy in what is another important step in our restructuring. He has worked in this role before at Newcastle and Manchester City and knows what it takes for our young players to keep progressing, both mentally and on the pitch.
"Frankie will work together with Tony Carss and the under-18 players - our scholars - in what is arguably the most important two years of their young careers.
"We have a clear development path at the Academy now; Mick Reid, our Foundation Coach, works with the 5-11 year olds; Dave Haley and Chris Howarth work with the 12-16 year olds in the youth developmentphase; Frankie and Tony work with the 16-18 year olds and then Steve Eyre takes over with the Development Squad.
"I think Frankie's appointment is a real statement of intent from the Club and shows how much we have embraced the EPPP."
Bunn was a striker during his playing days for the likes of Luton Town, Hull City and Oldham Athletic before injury curtailed his professional playing days at just 27 years old, despite latter spells in non-league football with Stalybridge Celtic and Radcliffe Borough.
Frankie started off his coaching career at Wigan Athletic before joining Manchester City as Reserve Team Coach in 1998. He became First Team Coach at Coventry City in February 2007 and a year later Frankie spent a short spell as Joint Caretaker Manager of the Sky Blues upon the dismissal of Iain Dowie, but he returned to his normal role upon the appointment of Chris Coleman.
Frankie had a spell as a coach in Newcastle's Academy in early 2011, helping the under-18 players make the transition to professional football.
Subsequently he moved to Rochdale to become Assistant Manager to Steve Eyre - now Town's Senior Professional Development Coach - in June 2011.
