Boss Paul Jewell’s coaching staff looks set to change this summer with goalkeeper-coach James Hollman likely to be the first of a number of departures. The Town manager kept on most of the existing members of the backroom after his appointment in mid-January.
Speaking on Thursday, Jewell says he’s always looking to improve all areas of the club: "Like everything else you’re always re-evaluating your staff. When I came in I said I’d have a look at it. Staff, like players, are important and sometimes a manager comes in and changes things, most managers change things.
"Most staff only get jobs because someone else is being moved on. It’s never anything personal. I’m looking at the whole structure of the staff, both senior and junior and trying to improve everything, which is what I want to do. I want to have an input on almost everything that goes on on the football side of it.”
Shortly after his appointment Jewell brought in his long-time associate Chris Hutchings as his assistant and his one-time Bradford strike partner Sean McCarthy as a coach, while Roy Keane’s deputies Charlie McParland and Tony Loughlan left the club. David Hamilton, who had worked under Jewell at Derby and Wigan, subsequently joined as a scout.
The rest of the senior coaching staff served under Keane and in most cases Jim Magilton. Chris Kiwomya is currently the reserves coach, Steve McCall the chief scout and Simon Thadani and Antonio Gomez the fitness coaches.
In February, Blues legend Russell Osman joined the club's youth set-up as assistant academy manager, coaching the U18s, working under academy manager Sammy Morgan.
After Saturday’s game at Leicester, Jewell wouldn’t comment on Hollman’s situation with the keeper-coach understood to be leaving the club and not with the squad at the Walkers Stadium.
Jewell’s former Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt, a one-time Town loanee, has been tipped for a move to Portman Road.