Coventry City

Dean Austin joined the Sky Blues as Head of Recruitment in December 2022.

The 52-year-old brings a vast range of experience from 35 years in football to his new role at the Sky Blues, where he will spearhead City’s transfer activities, with past roles in the playing, coaching, analysis and administration areas of the game.

In 1998 he was signed by Crystal Palace and he would make 142 appearances for the Selhurst Park side, scoring 6 goals, before finishing his playing career at Woking in 2002/03.

Dean would then make a move into coaching and the administrative side of the game, where he has had a wide range of roles. He started in the Watford academy before becoming Director of Football and then Manager at Farnborough Town in 2004/05.

In 2005, Austin returned to Southend as Head of Recruitment and Coach and they would achieve two promotions from League Two to the Championship while he was at Roots Hall. In 2008, he would move to Watford as assistant manager to Brendan Rodgers and would also move to Reading alongside the Northern Irishman.

In 2010, Austin moved to Crystal Palace as first-team coach and Under 21 manager, followed by roles at Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City as a scout and then Notts County as Assistant Manager.

In 2015, Dean re-joined Watford and was part of the coaching team as the Hornets were promoted to the Premier League. He joined Northampton Town in 2017 as assistant coach and would take charge as Manager in April 2018, a post he would leave in September that year.

In September 2019 he made a return to Vicarage Road as an assistant to new manager Quique Sánchez Flores, leaving when the Watford boss was dismissed in December of that same year.

In July 2021 Dean became Director of Football at his hometown side of St Albans City, where he began his footballing journey, and it’s from there that he joins the Sky Blues from.

Austin holds a UEFA Pro Licence and LMA Diploma in Sports Management, and is also undertaking the FA Technical Director Level 5 award, as well as working with many famed managers during his career.