Latest Nottingham Forest news: coach takes up post elsewhere after less than a year at City Ground.
Simon Rusk has left his role as Nottingham Forest’s set-piece coach to join Southampton.
Rusk has been named the Saints’ Under-21s head coach. The 42-year-old’s tough spell at the City Ground comes to an end.
He was hired as the Reds’ first ever set-piece coach in December 2023, as the club sought a solution to a major issue. However, although Nuno Espirito Santo took over as manager of the first team later that month, the former England Under-19s coach was said to have little influence.
In their first season back in the Premier League, Forest struggled with set-pieces. It was an issue they wanted to solve last summer, but it took until the end of 2023 to get a specialized coach on board.
A deal for former Tottenham Hotspur player Gianni Vio fell through, and owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly became upset with the delay in bringing someone in. Rusk joined just before Steve Cooper was fired as head coach and Nuno was brought in.
However, Forest’s set-piece woes remained mostly unchanged. By the end of the 2023/24 season, they had conceded 22 goals from dead-ball situations, a league best.
Following his hiring at Southampton, Rusk told the club’s official website: “I’m happy to join Southampton; it’s an exciting step to join a team with such a well-established reputation for fostering elite talent. I’m excited to get started with the group here; after speaking with Andy (academy director Andy Goldie), we both share a desire to take the Academy forward both on and off the pitch.”
Prior to his time at Trentside, Rusk had been England Under-19s head coach since August 2022, having joined the St George’s Park squad in May. Earlier in his career, he served as assistant manager at Dundee and as manager of Stockport County, before spending over a decade at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Rusk spent two seasons as a first-team coach at Brighton, working alongside former Forest manager Chris Hughton. He also managed the club’s Under-18 and Under-23 teams.
Southampton academy director Goldie said of Rusk: “After analyzing our Academy’s success last season, there was a clear profile we needed for this post, and it was clear that Simon has the characteristics and experience to assist us achieve our goals. His track record of developing young talent at both the club and international levels speaks for itself, but he will also serve as an excellent mentor to our younger coaches and play an important part in propelling the Academy forward next season.”
