Town have confirmed the appointment of Andy Costin as head of sports science, as revealed by TWTD a fortnight ago, while former Leicester City and Stevenage defender Jon Ashton (pictured) has joined the club as first-team fitness coach and director of football Dave Bowman has left Portman Road.
Costin departed Bristol City last month having joined the Robins as head of sports science and analysis in March last year. Prior to that he spent seven months at Stevenage as head of sports science.
Born in Gawler, South Australia, Costin was teaching PE before taking his career in its current direction in his late 20s.
Ashton no relation to incoming CEO Mark, started his career with Leicester but played most of his football for Stevenage, where he made 225 appearances and wore the captain's armband.
The 38-year-old, who also featured for Notts County (loan), Oxford United, Rushden & Diamonds, Grays Athletic, Crawley, Braintree and hometown club Nuneaton during his time as a player, returned to Broadhall Way as fitness coach in the summer of 2018.
"Both Jon and Andy are great additions to the support staff we are establishing,” Town’s recently-appointed director of performance Andy Rolls told the club website.
Town's previous fitness coach Jim Henry, whose official job title was head of athletic performance/sports science, left the club in November following friction with the club's football management team but was retained as a consultant with his contract up this summer. The Scottish former judo athlete, 69, has now formally departed Portman Road.
Bowman, 60, had been Town’s chief scout, although working under the job title director of football, since Mick McCarthy’s appointment in 2012 having also worked with the former Blues boss at his other clubs and also during his more recent spell in charge of the Republic of Ireland.
It would be little surprise if Bowman were to join McCarthy at Cardiff City this summer.
Elsewhere, former Blues defender John McGreal is the bookies' favourite for the vacant manager's role at Swindon Town, who were relegated to League Two during 2020/21.
McGreal, a close friend of Town boss Paul Cook from their days at Tranmere together, had appeared to be in the running for a role on the Blues' backroom team but, as previously reported, has been on the lookout for a club of his own.