Dave Williams steps up to become new Bradford Bulldogs NIHL coach
LEADING MAN: Dave Williams will take over as player-coach of Bradford Bulldogs for the 2025-26 NIHL North Two season. Picture: Alien Aaerial Photography.
BRADFORD BULLDOGS will head into the 2025-26 NIHL North Two season boasting a new coaching set-up with Dave Williams taking on the lead role as player-coach.
Head coach Andy Brown will remain part of the coaching team, but will be spending more time working with junior players as part of the club’s enhanced development junior programme.
Dave made his debut with the Bulldogs back in 2004 and - but for five years in Blackburn - has spent his senior career at The Pound.
He is currently second in the all-time appearance list for the Bulldogs - behing leading man Dean Boothroyd - scoring 14 goals and 42 assists in 307 games.
He became part of the coaching team last year as player-assistant coach under Andy and long-time assistant coach Hannah Gibson, but will be taking the lead role next time out.
LONG-SERVING: Dave Williams stands second in the all-time list for appearances for the Bulldogs. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.
Hannah will also remain key to the new set-up as assistant coach.
On his appointment as the Bulldogs’ player-coach, Dave said: “I'm really pleased to be taking on the role of player-coach and very excited to get preparations underway for the new season.
“This is something Andy and myself have been discussing for a while and will help him be able to focus more of his attention on the junior development set up.
“We all know last season didn’t go the way we wanted. We lacked consistency in our performances which impacted our results and ultimately cost us a spot in the play-offs.
“This season we need to move on from that and start challenging teams at the top of the table as the well as the ones in the bottom half, too.
“We will have a number of juniors looking to break though into the team over the next few years and we will be looking forward to giving some of them an oppprtunity to play this season where possible.”
LEAN ON ME: Andy Brown will remain part of the Bulldogs NIHL coaching team, but in more of an advisory role as he spends more time coaching the junior section at The Pound.
Andy, who took over his latest spell behind the bench as player-coach back in 2014-15 before becoming head coach in 2019, said: “It’s great to have Dave stepping up to take on the lead coaching role with our seniors.
“He came on board as a player-assistant-coach last year and his input was much welcomed by the whole group.
“With me taking on a bigger role with the Bulldogs’ juniors, now is a good time to Dave to step up and be the main voice for the players.
“I’ll still be around helping out during practice and, when schedules allow, on game days, too.
“I think Dave is a great fit for the role and I know he’s looking forward to having a positive influence on the playing group, as well as helping develop more of our younger players that are either coming through or still in the early oart of their senior careers.”