Our People – Danny Potter

Danny Potter is Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer for BSc (Hons) Football Coaching and Performance. 

Tell us about how you joined the University of Chichester and your role here. 

I started in January 2011 as an Associate Lecturer and went on from there. I studied Sport Development here back in 2004-2007, so have a deep affiliation to the university.  

I worked in sport and for another University, then a job came up here in 2010/11. I jumped at it. In 2012/13 we designed and wrote the Football Coaching and Performance degree which I’ve led since it started in September 2014.  

We were the first University to do a BSc (Hons) in Football Coaching , so we’re pioneers in this academic area. At the time we recognised there were lots of people on sports degrees that wanted to work in football. We looked at writing the degree to support the students.  

The way we’ve built it is we work with the FA and embedded the UEFA-C diploma into the first year. We’re only one of two universities in the country to offer it and were the first to do it. It means we’re upskilling our students earlier and really get them ready for deployment. 

Students go into coaching, analysis, managerial and developmental roles, some go into teaching, others use it as a platform to work overseas. I’ve got graduates all over the world working in football. It’s the biggest team sport in the world and our alumni graduates are worldwide. Because our network is so strong it’s easy to get people on placement. 

We are selective through the interviewing process, I interview every student, to make sure it’s the right match for them and us. 

What’s the best part of your job? 

Designing and delivering the Barcelona football trip which I lead each year is a highlight. We have incredible links to Barcelona football club and their academy, and this will be our tenth year. We take our second years, and they’ll speak to coaches, watch different sessions, games, visit their academy, the Institute of PE. They see the structure and delivery of football in Catalonia. If this is the aspiration for them, they can see how to do it. And we’ve had alumni who have worked at the football club and academy.  

What’s an average day at work like for you? 

Varied. I’m practically minded and practically driven, though I enjoy planning and creating new ideas for the degree.  All our students, we link them with opportunities to coach locally, so we have links with local clubs, schools and community groups.  

Students get weekly practicals through the three-year degree. We try to use the theoretical side to underpin the practical understanding. We’re fortunate facility wise, and we’ve got the 3G pitch at Chichester City over the road.  

What do you love most about working at the University of Chichester? 

Supporting my students and investing in their future. I think it’s the link with the students we get; it’s the journey we take the students on. And we consider our graduates as our network still. It’s the link and the bond, the ongoing journey to go on. We want to see the students grow, not just in their academic capacity, but also in terms of their wellbeing and confidence. We enjoy seeing them develop.  

What is your greatest achievement in your job or research? 

Designing the Football Coaching and Performance degree, delivering it and adding so may USPs to it, which includes the Barcelona football trip.  

Also linking with Chichester City; coaching the English Universities National Men’s Football Team, and taking students on that journey.  I manage the England South football team, and we have two students as part of the top squad. We bring as many of current undergraduate students in to give them experience of football at national level. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

There’s more to come from Football at Chichester! We can grow the programme in terms of our links and partnerships. We’ve got very good links with Brighton, Chelsea, Southampton and Portsmouth. We’ve got graduates working in European football in top divisions. Having been one of the former hosts of the Women’s High Performance Centres we believe in growing the game for every coach and every player. We’ve got more female students on the course than ever before.  

I’m grateful for the University for giving me the capacity to grow the programme.