Hannah Dingley named first woman head coach in English men's professional soccer history
Dingley made history as she became the interim coach of the Forest Green Rovers
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Hannah Dingley is officially the first woman to serve as a head coach in English professional men's soccer history after being named the interim coach by the Forest Green Rovers on July 4. She is taking over the coaching duties previously held by Duncan Ferguson, who was let go by the team after just six months on the job.
Dingley's first match as the interim coach was a friendly at Melksham Town on Wednesday, which resulted in a 1-1 draw.
"I'm really excited for this next step of my career," Dingley said in a statement. "Pre-season has just begun and the full season kicks off very soon. It's an exciting time in football. I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and to lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club."
We can confirm that Hannah Dingley has been named our Caretaker Head Coach.
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) July 4, 2023
Dingley will take charge of the team for tomorrow night’s friendly at Melksham Town.#WeAreFGR💚
She is new to the position but already has a few years of experience with the organization. Four years ago, Dingley was hired as the coach of the fourth-division club's academy. She also helped launched the FGR Girls Academy in 2021.
Forest Green Rovers chairman Dale Vince said choosing Dingley was an easy decision because of everything she has done for the club so far.
"Hannah was the natural choice to be first-team interim Head Coach - she's done a fantastic job leading our Academy and is well aligned with the values of the club," Vince said in a statement. "It's perhaps telling for the men's game that in making this appointment on merit, we'll break new ground - and Hannah will be the first female Head Coach in English (men's) football."
