Coaching Career
In 1994, Hanley was appointed coach of the Great Britain national rugby league team during the Ashes series of 1994, which was held in Great Britain. His appointment in the coaching role of the Great Britain squad meant he had become the first black person to coach or manage a major national team in Great Britain.
In 1999, he was appointed as the coach of St. Helens as the successor to Shaun McRae. In his first season as coach, he managed to lead his side to the Super League Grand Final. His side defeated the Bradford Bulls, the club he began his professional playing career at, by 8-6 in October of that year. Whilst he harboured a strong desire to win, he could appear aloof and had several acrimonious disagreements with the St. Helens board of directors, which led to his suspension and eventual sacking as the manager of St Helens Rugby League Football Club in 2000. Ian Millward was appointed as his successor for the role of the St Helens coach.
He switched to rugby union coaching and took up posts with Bristol Rugby and in the England national set-up. He also got involved in the sport of squash before returning to rugby league as a coaching consultant with Castleford Tigers in 2004. He worked with the Tigers for just two months before leaving.
On 14 December 2007 Hanley was unveiled as the coach of National League Two Club Doncaster. He resigned from that rolé on September 28, 2008, following Doncaster's successful promotion play-off campaign.
Read more about this topic: Ellery Hanley
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)