Anthony McGrath Appointed as Yorkshire’s New Head Coach

Yorkshire has announced Anthony McGrath as their new men’s head coach, taking over from former West Indies cricketer Ottis Gibson. McGrath, aged 49, has signed a five-year contract and returns to his home county, where he once played as an all-rounder and earned 28 caps for England, including four Test matches.

After retiring in 2013, McGrath began his coaching career at Yorkshire before moving to Essex. At Essex, he initially worked as an assistant coach under Chris Silverwood, contributing to the team’s promotion in 2016 and their County Championship victory in 2017. McGrath became head coach when Silverwood left for the England job, leading Essex to a Championship and T20 Blast double in 2019, and the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. Under his leadership, Essex also finished second in Division One and were T20 Blast finalists in 2023.

This year, McGrath took on the additional role of director of cricket at Essex following a management restructuring. He now takes charge of a Yorkshire team that has been promoted back to Division One after relegation in 2022 and was penalized 48 points in the 2023 season due to their handling of a racism scandal involving former player Azeem Rafiq. McGrath will begin overseeing the men’s first team from November 1.

McGrath expressed his excitement about the new role, stating, “It is a great honour to be appointed Head Coach of Yorkshire Cricket’s men’s team, and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead.” He acknowledged the tough decision to leave Essex, where he spent nearly nine years, and thanked everyone for their support.

Essex captain Tom Westley praised McGrath as a significant influence in his career and wished him success in his new position. Yorkshire interim CEO Sanjay Patel expressed delight at McGrath’s appointment, highlighting his successful coaching career and commitment to developing talent.