SCHOFIELD APPOINTED PATHWAYS HEAD COACH

Bradford Bulls are delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Schofield as the club’s full-time Pathways Head Coach for the 2025 season.

Schofield, who arrived at the club as Pathways Assistant Coach in 2024, takes over from Glenn Morrison, who steps aside due to work commitments away from rugby. 

Jonathan, who is the son of Garry Schofield OBE, enjoyed a successful playing career that saw him represent the likes of York City Knights, Hunslet Hawks and Dewsbury Rams before taking on a coaching role at the latter. 

Jonathan Schofield said: 

“I am delighted, I would like to thank Ryan Hunkin and Eamon O’Carroll for this great opportunity to be involved in a club that’s definitely on the up with some great talent coming through the pathways. 

“I am really looking forward to the challenge, being in the environment full-time and putting a lot of time into the players’ development, there have been some great players come through in the past and hopefully we can produce some more. 

“Glenn has played a huge part in my development in coaching and stepping up from assistant comes with more responsibility but it is all about preparation and man management, the plan is to get players ready for the first team. If Eamon feels they are ready then it’s my job to prepare them. 

“Developing the players to make sure they are ready but also develop them as people too, we have some great lads coming yhrough and the year they have had this year will stand them in good stead. 

“We’re pushing six players to join the first team in pre-season, Jacob Bateman and Jamie Gill got League One experience this year, Sam Ackroyd got experience in the Championship with Whitehaven, Jacob made his first team debut and I always use the word development because that’s the arena we are in. Having spent time looking at what Eamon does and what his philosophies are, that is filtering all the way down to Scholarship level and it’s excellent everything will be aligned. 

“Ryan has done a great job in his role as Head of Youth and the club has made some great strides forward, we just need to keep working hard as a group on and off the field, putting the right things in place and getting people excited to play for the Bradford Bulls.” 

Head of Youth Ryan Hunkin said: 

“Firstly, I’d like to thank Glenn for his time and efforts last year, he came in at a time of change and added to the environment in such a positive way, from both a coach and a person point of view, we wish him nothing but success moving forward, in both his personal and professional life.

“Jonathan is stepping up and taking on the full time head coach role of our pathways, Jonathan’s strengths are his planning, preparation, and his ability to connect with players and staff alike, he is a great thinker about the game and looks to add to his skill set at every opportunity, he lives and breathes the game 24/7. 

“I especially want to thank his wife and kids, Laura, Issac and Reuben for supporting him to be able to take this opportunity within a full-time environment. I am looking forward to another year in taking strides forward as an elite academy and continuing to support, nurture and care for the players in their development.” 

Glenn Morrison said:   

“I loved my time at the Bulls this season. It has been challenging and frustrating at times but I knew the task at hand when I took the role. The players have been great and I will miss it. It is a shame I can’t stay on however with emphasis on the role being full time and having my job at school I wasn’t in a position to do both moving forward. The foundations have been put in place and I’m sure the fans will see the improvements next season, on and off the pitch. I wish Jonathan Schofield and the players all the best and I will still be around watching games when I can.”