- Former Crystal Palace manager Laura Kaminski credits her move to Norwegian club SK Brann for expanding her coaching skillset through European competition.
- Kaminski is urging English female coaches to look abroad due to limited professional management opportunities in domestic football.
- Expressing concern over the career pathways for female managers, Kaminski also advocates for women to be given genuine consideration for roles in men’s football.
Broadening Horizons at SK Brann
After completing a season in Norway, Laura Kaminski believes she has evolved into a significantly better coach. Before moving abroad, Kaminski had accumulated extensive experience across English football, spending over 15 years working as an assistant manager across various clubs in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and WSL 2, in addition to undertaking a coaching position with the England women’s national under-19 team before leading Crystal Palace. Seeking to elevate her tactical and managerial repertoire, she took the bold step to coach overseas, adding vital continental credentials to her profile.
Kaminski is confident that this international tenure will pave the way for bigger opportunities down the line. Reflecting on her professional journey and current ambitions, she explained:
“I’d like to think I’ve got a well-rounded skillset to be able to manage at the top level. Right now, my focus is on Brann and a new chapter,” said Kaminski. “There’s only two levels in England that are professional. I definitely wanted to get European exposure, which I was never going to get in England.”
“At the time, I was in discussions with a few clubs but it was things that I’d done before, or the project wasn’t matching. “I knew that when I came to Brann, I was going to coach top-level players. I wanted to be at the top of the competition and I was desperate to win a trophy.”
Limited Pathways in the English Game
Kaminski has called on other female managers based in England to follow a similar path by traveling overseas to build their careers, warning that managerial openings in the home leagues remain scarce. Her concerns are underscored by wider industry trends; an October study conducted by UK Coaching revealed a 6% decline in the total number of female coaches across recent years, pointing to structural challenges in the coaching pipeline.
At present, there are only three English female head coaches operating in the top flight: Jo Potter at Crystal Palace, Amy Merricks at Birmingham City, and Karen Hills at Charlton Athletic, all of whom advanced to the division alongside their promoted sides over the summer. However, Kaminski expressed apprehension regarding the long-term career progression and sustainable options available to them within the domestic infrastructure.
Breaking Ground in Men’s Football
Looking beyond the women’s game, Kaminski is hopeful that opportunities within English men’s football will begin to materialize for qualified women. Having felt compelled to leave England to achieve the level of football she believed she had earned, she voiced frustration at the prevailing reluctance within the sport to look beyond traditional hiring practices.
Reflecting on her career choices and the future of management, she stated:
“I ended up leaving the country to go and get what I thought I deserved and had earned the right to work in, in terms of the level,” said Kaminski.
“There’s more than one female out there that’s capable [of working in men’s football]. I don’t think it’s out of reach. I would always, certainly, be open to it. “At the moment, for me, there’s not enough consideration even for that opportunity to be given to female managers who are more than capable.”
“I think the foundations are there for females to take the plunge but is the world of football ready? I’m unsure.”
Why This Matters
The coaching pathway for women in English football remains narrow, with only two fully professional tiers operating in the country. Because managerial appointments at the top level are fiercely contested and scarce, experienced managers risk reaching a career plateau if they remain exclusively within the domestic system. By competing abroad and gaining exposure to European tournament football, managers like Kaminski build the necessary pedigree to challenge status-quo appointments—not only within elite women’s leagues worldwide, but potentially across the men’s professional game as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Laura Kaminski leave England to manage SK Brann?
Kaminski chose to move to Norway because she wanted elite European coaching exposure that was unavailable to her in England, alongside the opportunity to work with top-level players and compete for major trophies.
How many English female head coaches are currently in the WSL?
There are currently three English female managers in the league: Jo Potter (Crystal Palace), Amy Merricks (Birmingham City), and Karen Hills (Charlton Athletic), each having come up with promoted teams.
What does data show regarding the broader trend of female coaches?
According to an October study published by UK Coaching, there has been an overall 6% decline in the number of female coaches in recent years, highlighting persistent difficulties in retention and upward progression in the profession.
