Ange Postecoglou has bolstered his coaching ranks at Tottenham ahead of the 2024-25 season, adding former Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery to his coaching staff.
The Scot — who won the 2023 A-League Men's championship with the Central Coast Mariners — joins the Premier League side after a season as coach of Scottish side Hibernian, a role he left at the end of the season.
Montgomery will also be joined by Sergio Raimundo, who was the assistant coach at both the Mariners and Hibernian when Montgomery was in charge.
It is part of broader changes at Tottenham, with Matt Wells replacing Chris Davies as senior assistant coach.
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Why has Ange Postecoglou hired Nick Montgomery?
Whilst Montgomery and Raimundo lack solid experience in the European leagues, Postecoglou has consistently looked towards coaches who are either Australian or have experience in the A-League Men's.
At his previous clubs Yokohama F-Marinos in Japan and Celtic in Scotland he has employed Kevin Muscat, Harry Kewell and Arthur Papas as assistant coaches, as well as bringing former Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak into the fold at Tottenham last season.
Montgomery and Raimundo also have a good track record at working with young players, bringing many talented youngsters through the ranks at the Mariners, and Postecoglou will hope they can continue this at Tottenham.
Speaking to club media, Postecoglou echoed these sentiments, saying, "both Nick and Sergio have a wealth of coaching experience over a number of years.
"They have already demonstrated a strong desire to both develop young talent and implement a football style that I believe will further strengthen the environment we have established. I'm looking forward to working with them."
How did Ange Postecoglou go with Tottenham last season?
Ange Postecoglou's first season as Tottenham coach had plenty of high moments, as Spurs returned to European football by finishing fifth and qualifying for the Europa League, an improvement on their finish the season before.
Tottenham started well despite losing star man Harry Kane in the off-season, and they shot to the top of the table after 10 games, though poor runs of form in the middle of the campaign as well at the end of the season saw them drop out of title contention and just miss out on a place in the Champions League.
Postecoglou's side were praised for the style of football played, especially due to their bravery at times compared to previous manager Antonio Conte, but they came under criticism towards the end of the season for their difficulty in defending set-pieces.
They also struggled against sides in the top four, winning just twice against such sides.
Nick Montgomery coaching career
After a successful playing career in the A-League with the Central Coast Mariners — winning a championship in 2013 — Montgomery went through the coaching ranks at the club, firstly being the youth coach before being an assistant under Alen Stajcic.
He took over from Stajcic at the start of the the 2021-22 season, and led the Mariners to a top four finish in his first season.
Despite significant player departures, he reached even bigger heights in the 2022-23 season, leading the Mariners to a grand final against Melbourne City, where they pulled off a shock 6-1 demolition win to secure the side's second championship.
His form in Australia earned attention from overseas, and he signed with Scottish Premiership club Hibernian in the off-season; it was not the easiest season for Montgomery, though, and after finishing in the bottom half of the table, he was sacked by the club.
