Jason Lee has resigned as the head coach of the England women's team England Hockey announced today. The following is the text of the England Hockey Press Release:
England Hockey can today announce that Jason Lee has left his
role as Head Coach of the women’s national team.
England Hockey would like to place on record its gratitude
and appreciation for the work by Jason Lee as Head Coach of both the men’s and
women’s national teams. He has been an excellent ambassador for the sport of
hockey throughout his years working with England Hockey.
After a difficult Hockey World Cup tournament in June, and a
review process, Lee is standing down from his position and leaves with the
mutual consent of England Hockey.
Lee represented England and Great Britain as an athlete prior
to his coaching career – he made his international debut for England at 19 and
represented Great Britain at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
He retired from playing after the 1998 World Cup and embarked
on a coaching career with Loughborough Students and England. When he coached
Great Britain at the 2004 Athens Olympics, he was just 33 and one of the
youngest national coaches in any British sport.
As men’s Head Coach, Lee’s England team won a Gold medal at
the European Championships for the first time in 2009. He also took Great
Britain to the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Beijing in 2008, and to London in
2012 where the team finished fourth.
Lee took over as women’s Head Coach following the 2012
Olympic Games, and guided them to a Silver medal at the EuroHockey Championships
in 2013, as well as a Bronze medal at the FIH Hockey World League Finals the
same year.
England Hockey Chief Executive Sally Munday commented: “We
would like to thank Jason for his hard work and dedication as coach of both
national sides. He has made an outstanding contribution to England and Great
Britain’s hockey teams over a coaching career of more than ten years.”
Jason Lee commented: "I
would like to thank those who took a chance appointing me as Head Coach back in 2003. It has been an honour to take teams to
three Olympics and three World Cups. It has been very disappointing that
the last major event turned out as it did. I wish my successor all the
very best and hope that both Great Britain teams can make it to Rio."
England and Great Britain Performance Director, and former
women’s team Head Coach, Danny Kerry will take charge of the team temporarily
and this will cover the Commonwealth Games.
Recruitment for a new England and Great Britain women’s Head
Coach will commence immediately.
