George Foster will take the Manchester Titans into the next season as the new head coach.
Foster, who works in the insurance industry, said American football is his true passion.
He spoke to Manc Sport about the progression into his new head coach role.
Foster believes his love for watching other sports has helped him progress as a coach. Football is a significant part of Foster’s life.
He serves as a Defensive Backs (DB) coach for the under-17 Great Britain (GB) team and is also a DB coach with the main GB squad.
Additionally, he is the Defence Coordinator for the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN).
Foster noted that the university game is quite big in the UK, with the governing body seeing it as a good avenue to get people into the sport.
The university season runs from September to March, while the senior season runs from March to September, potentially allowing people to coach football year-round.
As the new head coach at the Manchester Titans, Foster said his role will involve several different facets.
He said: “Part of my position as head coach at the Titans will be to support those universities in and around Manchester.
“A rising tide lifts all boats and that is how the game works in this country.”
Foster’s journey into American football began early on, with his dad traveling to the States for work and bringing back a Green Bay bobblehead.
“One of my earliest memories of football was this GreenBay bobble head he brought back,” said Foster.
“I saw the sport on tv when I was about ten and later when I was 14 or 15 I was starting to try to figure it out.
“Madden also helped.
“It is like a ball of wool, once you start pulling on the thread, it just becomes more enticing to unravel.”
Foster went on to play American football at the University of Sheffield but had to transition to coaching after suffering a severe shoulder injury in his first year.
After a year of coaching before his surgery, he returned to play in his final year at university.
He continued coaching with the Sheffield Giants while completing his master’s degree and later moved to the Manchester Titans.
He became the defensive coordinator for the Sheffield Sabres, a university team, and served as head coach there in 2022.
In 2023, he joined Leeds Beckett, a top program with some American players. Recently, he has taken on a role at UCLAN, which he said has fewer resources but strong university support.
Foster recalls a Sunday morning in March when Jonathan Homer, the former Manchester Titans head coach announced it would be his last year.
They have been working together since to ensure a seamless transition for the Titans, with Jon remaining heavily involved.
“Jon as a motivator is absolutely fantastic,” said Foster.
“The level of detail that he prepares is second-to-none, I learnt a lot.
“I think he outworked everyone in Brit ball.
“His ideas were really well thought through.
“In Jan, he’d have practices ready until September, his planning was excellent.”
The Titans are two-time national champions (2022-2023) and three-time Premier North champions (2022-2024).
“It is a very violent game of chess,” said Foster about his chosen sport.
“From a coaching perspective it is constantly trying to bait the opposition to do what you want, to be proactive as possible but to be reactive as well.
“We watch hours of film trying to watch tendencies and try to strategise on our opposition.”
Foster added – one challenge in GB is that many players go to Europe to gain professional experience and get paid, which can sting as it leaves the UK teams with fewer players.
Foster cites Germany’s national league as the best example, along with strong leagues in Scandinavian countries.
He emphasised the historical influence of NFL Europe in the 80s and 90s, which had a significant impact in England and Scotland.
After the NFL withdrew funding and shut the league down, European national bodies launched their own leagues, and Europe has since grown stronger.
Tthe ELF (European League of Football) is a competition Foster highlighted.
Going into it’s fifth season it now has 18 semi professional teams across Europe, but Britain is yet to field a team.
He added that having a team from the country in this competition is a firm ambition for those who play the sport in Britain.
Foster said the UK, missed a generation but is now working to close the gap.
The new head coach of Manchester Titans believes American football is the biggest best-kept secret in the UK, with a lot of talent and football being played.
“People just don’t know that there is a lot of the sport being played in this country,” said Foster.
“They are surprised we have a team in Manchester.
“The positives and big successes are our coaches and talented players.
“There is a lot of talent in Manchester.”
As a new head coach, he said he wants to build on the carefully curated success of the past few years – providing a great atmosphere for competition and development.
He acknowledged the need to develop new talent and create a pathway for players, possibly bringing them back after gaining experience in Europe.
The Titans aspire to grow and possibly form a second team, building the next wave of elite American footballers.
Foster’s focus is on making the organization more stable, structured, and strong, with an emphasis on youth development and competing for national championships.
The women’s team has also made strides, stepping up to nine-a-side football and performing well.
Foster’s goal is for all teams to be successful, making the Titans one of the most successful clubs overall.
He wants to create a climate where people excel, ‘allowing coaches to coach and players to play’.
The upcoming season in the Premiership North division promises to be competitive, with strong teams like Tamworth Phoenix, East Kilbride Pirates, Newcastle Vikings, Nottingham Caesars, and Edinburgh Wolves all taking part.
The Titans are also looking to avenge their semi-final loss to the Bristol Aztecs and continue their rivalry with the London Warriors, the reigning champions.
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