Former Cambridge United and Portsmouth defender Courtney Pitt was one of the first graduates from the Professional Player to Coach Scheme (PPCS) – a joint programme between the Premier League, the Professional Footballers' Association and the English Football League designed to increase the number of Black, Asian and minority ethnic players who transition into coaching.
The scheme, first introduced in 2020, provides six coaches per season with a 23-month intensive work placement at an EFL club within the academy or first team environment.
Each coach works through a personal learning and development programme focusing on several key areas: physical performance and conditioning, recruitment, analysis, administration and coaching different age groups.
Speaking to VERSUS, Pitt discussed how graduation from the PPCS supported him in securing a coaching role at Premier League club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
See: Learn more about the Professional Player to Coach Scheme
"I would not be in the industry without the PPCS. They helped me get into a professional club and that was a huge step for me.
"They provided me with the bespoke teachings I needed and it wasn’t just how I could develop my coaching craft, but also my personal development and my character."
"I was in the [PPCS] pilot but Benjani and Ricardo Fuller have both done the programme and are now both working with top clubs, too.
"We all played at Portsmouth. But when you think about it, it just shows you how competitive football is! Benjani was a £7m signing and Ricardo was an international footballer.
"They still found it hard to get a job in football. But again, the scheme proves extra useful in helping with that."
Pitt spent his younger playing days in Chelsea's Academy and provided an insight into what he learnt during his time there.
"I learned how tough it is to actually make it in football. The football world is so competitive and staying within it is tough. For me, it increased the need to teach these young people about self-ownership and their own intrinsic motivation. "
Speaking about his future coaching ambitions, Pitt said, "I just want these young people to remember me. I saw a group of boys I used to coach recently and they all greeted me and gave me a high five. That is it. If I see players in 10 years’ time, I would hope they don’t just walk past me.
"I want to leave a lasting impression and help to build great characters. I would love for them to go on and play the game and have great careers, but the personal touch and making a real impact on someone’s life journey is what I do it for."
Impact of PL's coaching schemes
- Of 63 coaches to have progressed through the Premier League's inclusive coaching programmes, the PPCS or the Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme (CIDS), 56 (88 per cent) are in full-time employment with clubs.
- All 25 coaches who have been supported through PPCS are employed as a coach in English professional football.
- Of the 38 coaches who have been supported through the CIDS, 31 are employed in men’s English football, plus one in the Women's Super League and two more overseas.
- 45 clubs across the Premier League and EFL have engaged with either PPCS or CIDS.
- 361 coaches are registered to the Coach Index (a self-registration system for coaches from underrepresented groups), with 72 clubs signed up to use the platform when recruiting.
Photography from VERSUS