Danny has a wealth of experience in the sport, having coached the British women to bronze at London 2012 and later to a gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics. He coached the England and British women’s UK teams from 2005 until his move to the men’s in 2018. He led the team to their first FIH Hockey Pro League Grand Final in 2019.
The Loughborough graduate retired from hockey in early 2022 and at the time was the most accomplished coach the British game had seen.
He played rugby for England and consulted on a number of other sports before returning to his field hockey roots.
Danny joins the Canadian team at an exciting and pivotal point in their journey. Last summer, the women’s national team played its first FIH Hockey World Cup in 30 years and capped a successful season with a fifth-place finish at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The team nicknamed “The Wolf Pack” is currently ranked 15thth around the world and look forward to a series of tournaments – not least the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
In the Announcing Field Hockey CanadaDanny said:
“The short-term campaign is preparation for the Pan American Games. We get there with a strong identity for how we play and a purpose for our game. By developing and bringing these qualities to bear, we’ll give ourselves the best chance of progressing in this tournament. We will also position ourselves for future and continued growth.”
He has already met with some team members and would like to have a longer term impact on the sport across the country. Danny noted the warmth of his welcome to the club and the teams’ passion to improve their game.
Danny’s success has been rewarded in many ways – including being honored with an MBE on the Queen’s Honors List in 2017 after bringing home a string of gold medals with the women of Team GB, five of whom were Loughborough alumni.
He is a member of the Loughborough Sport Hall of Fame and has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the university in recognition of his achievements. He studied physical education and sports science at Loughborough, graduating in 1992. In addition to his studies, he was captain of the men’s ice hockey team.
The Wolf Pack will begin their 2023 campaign with a training camp in April.
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