Bristol Rovers' new Assistant Head Coach Jon Stead said he is 'excited' to be joining the Club ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The 42-year-old will be working alongside Head Coach Darrell Clarke for the second time after the pair worked together at Barnsley last season, with Stead departing the Tykes at the end of the campaign after joining in July 2023.
The former forward made over 700 appearances in all competitions in his 19-year playing career, with 85 coming in the Premier League. Before joining Barnsley, he spent time in the United States with Hartford Athletic and Tampa Bay Rowdies. Stead will now be tasked with helping the Gas have a successful season in Sky Bet League Two, with pre-season back underway on Monday 23 June.
Speaking to BRTV for the first time since joining the Club, Stead discussed his reasons for joining Rovers, his coaching career to date and his ambitions for the new campaign.
So, Jon, welcome to Bristol Rovers Football Club. What made you want to come here?
“Various amounts of reasons, really. Obviously, the main one being Darrell Clarke, the manager, working with him previously, knowing what I’m going to get, knowing what my responsibilities and my roles are going to be and knowing that it’s a good opportunity for me to continue my development and be part of a successful journey with a Club that’s ready to rebuild. I’m really happy to be a part of that.”
What do you make of Bristol Rovers?
"Bristol Rovers is a big Club. It’s full of tradition. It’s got a fantastic fanbase. It’s got a difficult stadium to go and play in. I know that after being a player and a coach going down there. So, it’s got all the makings of being a real project with the ownership group and the things that they are doing around the training ground and the things that are planned for the next couple of years. It’s an exciting time for the Club, and I think it’s something that you want to get into at this point because it gives you an opportunity to really be part of it."
After over 700 games in your playing career, what made you want to get into coaching?
"A lot say it’s just a natural progression, but I think the closer that I got to the end of my playing career, I took a lot more interest in the coaching aspect of it and felt it was somewhere after playing that many games over 20 years, that knowledge is priceless and I think it’s important that’s passed on and I can help the younger players get to the position that I got to and help them develop and that’s always been key to my coaching.
"I went straight to the States because I wanted something fresh and different and new. I didn’t want to get stuck into the same routine that I’d had as a player, and I think that put me out of my comfort zone a little bit. It was difficult, but I think it certainly improved me as a coach and got me to the position that I am now."
You mentioned the States there. Talk us through your coaching career so far and how it’s shaped you...
"I finished playing when I was at Harrogate. Straight from that, I had already organised to go out to the States to Hartford Athletic in Connecticut. I was working under Harry Watling, a really good young coach, and it was a perfect opportunity for me to learn the ropes a little bit, get in amongst it, and experience that environment. I had already done my coaching badges, so I knew that I was ready for that opportunity.
"It was about a new experience and something different. There were very different things to deal with in terms of the travel being difficult and the altitude being difficult at certain places like New Mexico and Colorado. So, there were lots of aspects of it that were totally different to my playing career, and I felt that was important.
"After a short spell there, I went down to Tampa Bay with Neill Collins as his Assistant Head Coach there. Again, it was a fantastic place to live. I took my family there, and it was a real family experience and again, another opportunity to really learn my craft and keep improving as a coach. With Neil getting the Barnsley job, he asked me to come with him, and I jumped at the opportunity. Some people questioned me going from Tampa to Barnsley, but it was always going to be a career journey for me to try and get to the top level. It was a great move, and we had brilliant experiences at Barnsley, and further down the line, it led me to work with Darrell.
"I’ve gone through a full aspect of coaching from doing individual strikers at Huddersfield and Sheffield United to going through to doing pretty much everything with Neill and then doing a lot of the in-possession and then finally finishing with set-pieces while Conor Hourihane was in charge. So, I have had a real broad spectrum in terms of things that I’ve worked on, and I think now putting that all together is really important, and the in-possession will certainly be stuff that I’ll continue to focus on here at Bristol Rovers."
How important was Darrell Clarke for you to come here, and what is your connection like?
"It’s good. You know what you’re going to get with Darrell. I think everybody knows that. He’s obviously a legend here, so it’s difficult to follow him with anything because he’s a livewire, he’s a fantastic man manager, he knows how to get the best out of players, he’s a serial winner, and he’s got promotions at this level with this Club as well. So, it’s just one of those where he’s just somebody that’s extremely infectious to be around, and I think that’s why the fans take so well to him, that’s why the players love him, and he’s great to work with.
"He lets me get on with my job. We have a fantastic relationship. We’ve known each other for years, actually. Not really well, but we’ve crossed paths a lot with his Hartlepool days. But the first time that I worked with him was at Barnsley, and we got on really well. So, with my time coming to an end at Barnsley, it seemed like a perfect fit, and I was delighted when he gave me the call."
How important is that connection between you and Darrell to have a successful spell here?
"It’s really important. It’s important that Darrell gets the support that he needs. I think everybody will be pulling him from every direction because they want something from him. It’s a bit different for me being the assistant. I’m giving him everything, so I need to make sure I’m there for him, supporting him, questioning him a lot at times and making sure that we have that relationship where we test and we drive, and we look to improve each other, and we’ve had that.
"This is why I’m here. I know he can bring out the best in me, and I know he’ll get to the places that he wants to get to. So, it’s just about having that mutual respect for each other, having somebody you can trust and somebody that gives you the freedom to work on the training ground, which for me is paramount."
You mentioned the work on the training ground here. What do you want from the players?
"It’s a bit cliche, but it’s going to be hard work. This team is going to be built on players that will run through a wall for the manager and for the Football Club. It will be disciplined. It will be a disciplined start to the pre-season. There’s going to be standards set from day one, and we expect the players to follow that and on the flip side, we as a staff will follow that as well, and it will be led by Darrell.
"He’s extremely keen to put his stamp on the players that are already here and then obviously bring in some new faces as well, and I’m sure there will be other additions in terms of staff. So, it’s a real fresh start, and I think the way this Club is, the mentality that we’re going to have, the resilience we’re going to have, and that togetherness is going to be evident from day one, and I think even in pre-season we’re going to see that coming through."
What are your ambitions whilst at Bristol Rovers?
"We want to be successful. I know Darrell would have already said this, but we want to put a team on the pitch that represents the Bristol Rovers supporters and just put real pride in wearing the shirt. A lot of these things are cliche, and until we produce it on the pitch, it’s a load of nonsense.
"I know that, but we’ll be working hard every day to make sure that it becomes a reality, and they see that translate through the players and out at The Mem because it’s going to be some atmosphere there come the first game of the season. We want to have a product on the pitch that represents that and embodies that excitement, and we want to be successful. We want to get back into League One and go beyond that."
Finally, how excited are you to meet the fans at The Mem and be in the home dugout?
"I’m very happy to be in the home dugout. It’s a very intimidating place to go, but there’s a fantastic tradition at the stadium. It’s got a real old-school feel about it, and I cannot wait to get out there and obviously make sure we get those lads in a good frame of mind, and they put on that product for the supporters to really buy into, which I’m sure they will and I’m just excited to be a part of it."
