Lauren Smith will lead Bristol City Women as they prepare for the forthcoming Championship season with the 33-year-old confirmed as the Vixens' new interim head coach.
Matt Beard, who stepped in for Tanya Oxtoby in January as she spent time away from the club on maternity leave, left the club for Liverpool last month and Smith has been named as his replacement.
It marks a homecoming for Smith who served the club in various roles from 2010-2017 when she departed to take up a post with the Welsh FA and then Tottenham Hotspur, as assistant to head coach Rehane Skinner.
“Bristol City Women is a club that I hold close to my heart and I’m delighted to return as head coach for the 2021/22 season," Smith said.
“Having previously spent seven years at the club, coaching through the age groups and into the first team as an assistant, it’s a special moment to become head coach.
“It’s going to be a busy summer ahead with a lot of work to be done as we aim to rebuild and prepare for one of the most competitive leagues in women’s football.”
Smith first joined City in 2010 as Under-14 coach before progressing to become first-team assistant coach and technical director for the Under-9 to Under-19 youth programmes.
City are going through a transitional summer following WSL relegation with top-scorer Ebony Salmon having left plus assistant coach Marco Chiavetta, head of women's football Lee Billiard and first-team players Gemma Evans, Ella Mastrantonio and Georgia Wilson. Goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley, meanwhile, has been linked with Manchester United.
An advert for a new interim head coach was posted on May 24 on a 12-month fixed-term contract with the aim to, "build and maintain a successful first team squad built on a core of homegrown talent".
Group Chief Financial Officer and City Board director Gavin Marshall said: “Lauren was the stand-out candidate for the role as we aim to rebuild the women’s programme in the Championship this upcoming season.
“Lauren previously spent seven years at the club in various coaching roles and has a fantastic understanding of the importance of the player pathway, which is vital as we aim to build a core of homegrown talent for the future of the club.
“Combining that with the knowledge and experience she has gained in both the international and domestic game makes Lauren an exciting appointment for Bristol City Women.”
