Who Is Jack Ross? Meet Newcastle United’s Newly Appointed Head of Football Strategy

Jack Ross is stepping into a major new role that will help build a consistent and unified football culture across all levels of Newcastle United. Reporting to the club’s new Sporting Director, he will work closely with senior leaders at every site to improve communication, encourage collaboration, and implement best practices across men’s, women’s, and academy football as part of the Football Directorate.

With nearly 300 professional games under his belt as a manager, Jack brings a wealth of experience to the role. He joined Newcastle United in March 2023 as Head of Coach Development at the Academy, before moving into the position of Head of Strategic Technical Football Partnerships. Since then, he has continued to offer strategic support and mentorship to key staff members.

In his new role, Jack will lead the development of strategic partnerships with clubs both in the UK and internationally. He will also oversee the club’s player loan programme and emerging talent strategy, creating new pathways for football development and helping to grow Newcastle United’s talent pipeline.

This new structure is part of a wider effort to expand Newcastle United’s global brand and footballing identity, while also strengthening player development, depth, and retention.

Who Is Jack Ross? Newcastle’s new Head of Football Strategy

Jack Ross began his football journey as a player in 1995 with Camelon Juniors, a Scottish club. Over the course of his career, he went on to play for a total of seven clubs, building a solid reputation as a dependable professional. His playing days came to an end in 2011 while he was with Dunfermline Athletic.

After stepping away from the game for a few years, Ross returned to football — this time on the sidelines. He took his first steps into management with Alloa Athletic, where he spent a year before moving on to take charge of St Mirren. It was at St Mirren where he really made his mark, guiding the club to the Scottish Championship title and securing promotion to the Premiership.

His impressive work didn't go unnoticed. Ross was named PFA Scotland Manager of the Year, a recognition that caught the eye of English club Sunderland. They brought him in as their head coach, hoping he could bring the same success south of the border.

Jack Ross’s time at Sunderland was short-lived. Despite some initial promise, his stint ended in disappointment, and the club parted ways with him while they were sitting sixth in the League One table.

He quickly returned to management, taking over at Hibernian, where he spent three years. After that, he moved to Dundee United, but things didn’t go as planned. His time there was marked by setbacks, and he was dismissed on 30 August 2022 after just seven games into his second season.

Although Ross had mostly managed smaller clubs, a turning point in his career came in 2023 when he joined Newcastle United as interim head of coach development. However, the club soon saw his strengths lying elsewhere and appointed him as the head of strategic technical football partnerships—a role that better suited his skills and vision.

Ross’s New Role: What to Expect as the Magpies’ Head of Football Strategy

As mentioned earlier, Ross will now oversee “the club’s player loan and emerging talent strategy” and “build strategic relationships with other clubs” in the UK and overseas.

Jack told Newcastle’s website: “This is an exciting opportunity to help the club build on the outstanding progress and successes it has achieved on and off the pitch in recent seasons.”

Newcastle say he will “help to develop a consistent sporting philosophy across the club” and support “communication, collaboration and the implementation of best practice across men’s, women’s and academy football”, all aimed at “enabling talent depth and retention”.

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