COACH PROFILE

Gordon Duff

Head of Youth & Academy Operations

NationalityScottish
SportFootball
Current clubRoss County FC
LanguagesEnglish
Location
Scotland
Education & qualifications
  • Uefa A Licence

    Uefa Elite Youth A Licence

    Scottish FA Children's Licence

ABOUT THE COACH

I am a UEFA A and UEFA Elite Youth A Licence coach with extensive experience across player development, coach development, academy leadership and first-team football.

My career has allowed me to work across the full player pathway, from children’s and youth development through to academy management, U18 football and the first-team environment.

I am passionate about developing people and creating positive, high-performance environments where both players and coaches are challenged, supported and given the opportunity to fulfil their potential. My approach is centred around strong relationships, clear standards, continuous learning and creating a football philosophy that provides consistency while allowing individuals to develop.

A key focus throughout my career has been building sustainable player pathways and connecting youth development with senior football. I take great pride in helping players progress, supporting coaches in their own development and creating environments where people feel valued, motivated and ambitious.

I am always looking to learn, challenge myself and contribute to a football environment with a clear vision for long-term development and success.

Work / coaching experience

  • Head of Youth Development & Academy Operations | Aug 2023 - Present:

    Oversee coaching delivery across all youth phases, ensuring alignment with the club's football philosophy.

    Lead the operational delivery of the Academy, including administration, scheduling, facility management, governing-body compliance and stakeholder communication.

    Build strong relationships with players, parents, coaches and key stakeholders to support a coherent development environment.

  • Interim Assistant First Team & Set Piece Coach | Dec 2025 - May 2026:

    Planned and delivered high-intensity, game-realistic sessions aligned to the playing philosophy and supported the Head Coach with tactical planning.

    Led set-piece strategy and opposition analysis, translating analysis into clear match-specific actions and in-game adjustments.

    Contributed to a period in which 42% of total goals were scored from set plays, while the team recorded the league's lowest proportion of goals conceded from set plays (19%).

  • U18s Head Coach | Feb 2024 - Jun 2025:

    Led the U18s to the club's highest win and points percentage across the 2024/25 season and to the latter stages of League and Scottish Cup competition.

    Won the 2025 U18s CAS League Cup while maintaining a strong emphasis on individual development and progression.

  • Academy Manager | Sep 2020 - Aug 2023:

    Set strategic direction and implemented a sustainable academy system connecting development objectives with senior football.

    Managed budgets, identified additional revenue opportunities and improved programme efficiency.

    Led staff-development initiatives and created a high-support, high-challenge environment for technical and tactical growth.

    Implemented a progressive playing philosophy that supported seamless Academy-to-First-Team transition.

Achievements

  • Player development: Developed more than 20 youth players who progressed successfully into First Team football.

    Philosophy integration: Implemented a progressive playing philosophy bridging Academy and First Team football.

    Coach development: Mentored and developed Academy coaches, with a number progressing into senior coaching roles.

    Tactical innovation: Introduced tactical formations and player roles designed to improve team versatility and matchday performance.

    Programme efficiency: Streamlined Academy processes to improve utilisation of the annual budget.

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