Sunderland appoint Scottish Rugby data expert James Mullins as Head of Business Insights | OneFootball

Sunderland have strengthened their off-field operation by hiring James Mullins from Scottish Rugby as Head of Business Insights.

Mullins said in a post that he was delighted to join, describing the role as an exciting new chapter and adding that he looks forward to working with David Bruce, Brandon Furse and Scott McCubbin as the club builds on recent momentum.

He arrives after more than five years with Scottish Rugby, most recently as Head of Digital and Data. Before that, he served as Head of Data and Insights and as Data Science Manager, establishing a strong reputation in performance analytics, reporting and strategic decision-making within elite sport.

His background also includes academia, having been an associate lecturer at Northumbria University and a lecturer in sports performance analysis at the University of Gloucestershire.

Earlier in his career he worked as a performance analyst at Performance Advantage, providing analytics consultancy across elite sport, including projects with Durham CCC and the Scottish Rugby Union.

The appointment underlines Sunderland’s growing commitment to data-led decision-making across football and commercial departments, with investment in infrastructure and personnel aimed at supporting long-term growth.

Source: Sunderland Echo