Scott Parker has been appointed West Ham head coach, succeeding Nuno Espirito Santo, and his initial backroom team includes club legends Mark Noble and Steve Potts. Parker will be in the dugout for Wednesday night's Championship match against Cardiff, with West Ham eighth in the table after winning six of their first 13 league games.
The 46-year-old, out of work since leaving Burnley in April after their relegation from the Premier League, will be joined by first-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, while Mark Noble will also work closely with the squad. The permanent structure of Parker's backroom staff has yet to be announced.
Club Legends Return
Mark Noble, a former team-mate of Parker's and West Ham's sporting director since January 2023, now looks set for a more hands-on role. Noble made 550 appearances for West Ham as a player, though it remains unclear what job he will undertake as Parker settles on a permanent backroom structure.
Steve Potts, another former West Ham player with more than 500 appearances, was promoted from academy coach to Nuno's backroom team in October 2025 after impressing on an interim basis. He helped bridge the gap between the academy and first team, with Nuno handing chances to youngsters such as Freddie Potts, Mohamadou Kante, Airidas Golambeckis and Ezra Mayers last season.
Academy Coaches Promoted
Gerard Prenderville worked in West Ham's academy before being promoted to Nuno's backroom team last season. He was part of the Under-18s coaching team in 2022/23 when West Ham won the FA Youth Cup, beating Arsenal 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium, and has played an important role in developing several academy-turned-first-team players.
Billy Lepine, a West Ham fan, was appointed head of academy goalkeeping in November 2020 before being promoted to Nuno's backroom team. He worked alongside Nuno's long-time assistant Rui Barbosa as a goalkeeping coach and helped Mads Hermansen re-establish himself as the club's first-choice option after he was dropped under Graham Potter.
