The nominees are IN – and now it’s your time to have your say on who takes out Coach of the Month honours for February in the Liberty A-League!
Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have partnered with Football Coaches Australia (FCA) for the second season running, to produce four monthly nominees for fans of the Liberty A-League to pick from as Coach of the Month.
Wellington Phoenix head coach Paul Temple picked up Coach of the Month honours in both the October/November and December voting, and Central Coast Mariners head coach Emily Husband collected the award in January after a fan vote.
This month’s nominees are…
Eligible coaches are nominated monthly by the FCA panel, consisting of:
- Catherine Cannuli
- Sarah West
- John Kosmina
- Ian Greener
- Gary Cole
Each member of the FCA panel votes for three coaches each month, granting three votes to their pick for Coach of the Month, two for their second-choice and one for their third choice.
The FCA panel will also vote for Isuzu UTE A-League Coach of the Month on the same voting schedule.
Cast your vote for Liberty A-League Coach of the Month via A-Leagues Facebook and Twitter.
Kat Smith – Western United
February record
- Games played: 3
- Wins: 3
- Draws: 0
- Defeats: 0
- Western goals scored: 8
- Western goals conceded: 3
Three games, three wins: February was a perfect month for Western United in the midst of a six-game winning streak that catapulted Kat Smith’s side to the top of the Liberty A-League standings.
Smith was a strong contender for January’s Coach of the Month honours and will compete again for her first monthly award of the season after wins over Central Coast, Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix in February.
Emily Husband – Central Coast Mariners
February record
- Games played: 3
- Wins: 1
- Draws: 1
- Defeats: 1
- Mariners goals scored: 5
- Mariners goals conceded: 4
January’s Coach of the Month Emily Husband continued to guide her team into the Premiership hunt in February, responding from a 2-1 loss to current leaders Western United with a draw against Melbourne Victory and a big win over Perth Glory on the road.
Husband’s side travelled to Perth to notch a 3-1 triumph, with Matildas forward Kyah Simon scoring her first goal since her returning to the Liberty A-League.
Jeff Hopkins – Melbourne Victory
February record
- Games played: 3
- Wins: 2
- Draws: 1
- Defeats: 0
- Victory goals scored: 7
- Victory goals conceded: 2
Melbourne Victory won three games on the bounce in January and extended that unbeaten streak to six games by the end of February to climb up the Liberty A-League table and into Premiership contention.
Hopkins’ side beat Brisbane Roar 2-1 to start the month, then drew 1-1 to fellow Premiership hopefuls Central Coast. Victory ended the month with an emphatic 4-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Ryan Campbell – Newcastle Jets
February record
- Games played: 3
- Wins: 2
- Draws: 0
- Defeats: 1
- Jets goals scored: 7
- Jets goals conceded: 4
There’s a fresh contender for Coach of the Month honours in the February vote, with Newcastle Jets boss Ryan Campbell earning a nomination in his first full month at the helm.
Campbell replaced Gary van Egmond in mid-January and has since helped the Jets climb into the top six. February began for Newcastle with a 3-2 win over Wellington; then came a 2-1 defeat to Western Sydney before a comprehensive performance against Brisbane Roar, scoring three goals and keeping a clean sheet to round out the month.
