Lee Clark named Hartlepool United head coach | OneFootball

Hartlepool United have appointed Lee Clark as first-team head coach. The club confirmed the move on Thursday morning.

The National League side parted company with Nicky Featherstone at the end of the season, and were recently taken over by American real estate developer Landon Smith.

Clark, 53, arrives after a brief, testing stint with Rotherham United at the end of 2025/26. He won one of his nine matches in charge as the Millers were relegated from League One.

He described pride at leading a club with a strong identity and deep connection to its town. Conversations with Chris Maxwell and the chairman underlined a determination to rebuild belief among supporters. He outlined plans for an energetic, purposeful team built on honesty, work ethic and firm standards.

Wallsend-born, Clark began at Newcastle United and made almost 200 senior appearances before moving to Sunderland in 1997. He then joined Fulham and later returned to Newcastle, retiring in 2006.

In management he has led Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Kilmarnock and Bury. He later took charge of Blyth Spartans, had two spells with Sudanese side Al-Merrikh, and worked in Oman with Al-Ittihad, before joining Rotherham in mid-March.

Source: Sunderland Echo