Hibernian Ladies are delighted to announce the appointment of Dean Gibson as the new first team Head Coach.
Report / Image: Hibernian FC
Dean makes the move up from the Under-23 squad with his backroom staff to be announced in the coming days.
His appointment brings a vast amount of experience in the women’s game, including holding previous coaching roles within our academy.
In 2017 he led the Under-15 squad to a league and cup double. This success was rewarded with a promotion to the Under-23 development squad and results soon followed. In 2018, Dean’s side became the first Hibernian development squad to win the SWF1 Division title.
Dean spoke of his delight to have earned a promotion to coach the first team. He said: “I’ve been around the girls academy for three years now. To be given the opportunity to now go onto the first team is a proud moment for me.
“What appeals to me about Hibernian is how the club opperates and what we try to achieve. We always identify young players with talent.
“Although it is the first team, it still is a very young squad and I still think all of those players can be developed further to take their career to the next stage.”
As well as winning trophies with the academy, Dean developed a reputation of rebuilding the squads he worked with.
Making changes to an ageing squad was one of his top priorities with the Under-23 squad. Dean said: “Putting an age cap was one of the biggest decisions I had to make.
“It was successful in the first year, we went and recruited some of the best players in the country to add to the talent we already had there. The average age then dropped to about 17.
“We went on to win the SWF Division 1, which Hibernian had never done before.”
Taking up the reigns this week, Dean will get the chance to evaluate his squad up close for the first time.
However, he already knows what kind of players he has at the club. He added: “I’m happy with the squad. I believe we’ve still got some of the best players in the country. There’s also good players that have came up through the academy.”
“However, we could consider bringing in one or two players to help strengthen the depth of the squad.
“The strength of the squad is good, there’s still a team there that can go and compete. But if we want to do that we need to have depth to cope with any injuries.”
The new Head Coach also recognised the tradition that the club has of bringing in young players and helping them to develop: “They need to have the attributes of a Hibernian player, young, hungry, technically strong, for us to bring them in. We won’t be bringing anyone in for the sake of it.”
With just over a month until the Scottish Building Society SWPL season gets underway, Dean wanted to pass on a message to the supporters: “The fans coming along and supporting us is only going to make us stronger.
“The club is strengthened by its fanbase. There’s very good players in this team, some of the best in the country.
“It will be a young team, an exciting team. I’ve been a fan of this club all my life and I want the same for the fans. My team to be attacking and on the front foot.”
Hibernian get their 2020 season underway with a home league match up against Spartans. The game takes place at Ainslie Park, in the north side of Edinburgh, on February 23.
You can catch up on all of the upcoming fixtures for the season by clicking here.
To be kept up to date with Hibernian Ladies throughout pre-season, follow us on social media: @HibsLadies.
