Viveash exits after seven years as Coventry revamp coaching department
Adi Viveash: Worked for Chelsea's Academy for nine years before joining Coventry
Written by Simon Austin — July 17, 2024
Adi Viveash has left his role as Assistant Manager at Coventry City after seven “rollercoaster” years as the club instigate a major reorganisation of their first-team coaching operation.
The 54-year-old joined Coventry as Mark Robins’ Assistant in August 2017. The appointment was initially on a temporary basis intended to last a maximum of six weeks.
Seven years and two promotions, a Championship play-off final and FA Cup semi-final later, and Viveash is leaving. Coventry have announced that they are “re-organising the structure of the first-team coaching department” and are advertising for the new role of Head of First Team Coaching.
This person will “work closely with the Manager and coaching team to deliver the most impactful development and support to our players.”
They will be "responsible for ensuring alignment of our playing philosophy and game-planning with the coaching and development of our players” and “provide consistent and responsive leadership and coaching support.”
As we reported on the Bulletin Board at the start of the month, George Boateng and Rhys Carr have joined the club this summer as First Team Coaches.
Dr Claire-Marie Roberts will be presenting on 'Establishing an elite performance culture' at TGG Live in September.
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Boateng is a former Premier League player who coached in the Academies at Blackburn and Aston Villa before joining Coventry, while Carr is a UEFA A Licence coach who has been Individual Development Coach at Wolves for the last two years.
Writing about his departure on LinkedIn, Viveash said: “I leave with my head held high and with lots of amazing memories to cherish. I feel very proud of the part I played in this successful period for this great club.
“Heartfelt thanks to all the players I have coached and worked with, to the very dedicated and talented staff I have shared this journey with and the extraordinary fans for their support and deep-rooted love for their club.
“It has certainly not been an easy journey but nothing in life comes easy. Time for me to reflect, learn and grow from this whole rollercoaster experience and look forward to the next challenge and chapter in my career.”
In a statement, the club added: “Coventry City would like to put on record its thanks to Adi for the last seven years of service to the Sky Blues and the role that he has played in our achievements over that time, including promotion from League Two to the Championship.
“Coventry City wishes Adi the best of luck for the future.”
Dr Claire-Marie Roberts joined Coventry as Performance Director in February, having previously been Head of Elite Development during a nine-year career at the Premier League, and has been on a quest to improve performance support at the club. Chairman and Owner Doug King, who took over at Coventry in January 2023, has been keen for Robins to be able to focus on preparing the first team, with the club taking care of recruitment, sport science, medical, analysis and the Academy.
Dean Austin has been Head of Recruitment since December 2022 and is part of the football leadership team at the club.
Roberts, who was also a Chartered Psychologist for the British Olympic Association for seven years earlier on in her career, said the arrival of Boateng and Carr would “bring a new dimension to our experienced multi-disciplinary team as we work to continually enhance the development and preparation of our first-team players.”
In addition, a new “state-of-the-art” gym has also just been opened at the club's Ryton training ground.
In a recent in-depth interview with the Coventry Telegraph, Roberts explained: “I say this to Doug all the time, that we need to make sure that our players are the best conditioned, the best prepared, physically and mentally, for the season ahead.
“Something that I learned and was drummed into me when I was working for the British Olympic Association through Olympic cycles is that almost everything is a performance issue.
“There are so many critical facets that need to be in place for someone to perform at their best, and it can be something as seemingly innocuous as a player transitioning into a team.
“In the wider remit, there’s the medical department, the sports science department, strength and conditioning, nutrition, psychology, player care and liaison, performance and data analysis. It’s really wide ranging.”
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