Shortly after graduating from MSc Sports Coaching at the University of Central Lancashire, Jono McPhail kicked off his career in Higher Education as a Lecturer at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB).
While completing his undergraduate degree, Jono was set on moving into teaching in secondary schools. This was predominantly because of the great experiences he received from his previous PE teachers. More specifically, Jono’s dissertation gave him the taste for education and became the reason for taking his studies further. Jono had looked at a number of different courses but felt he was best suited to the master’s course at UCLan. He also found that meeting some of the course staff before enrolling was a great footing ahead of starting his postgraduate studies.
Prior to graduating in 2018, Jono applied for a PGCE while also accepting a role at at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) as a Lecturer. He began working at UCFB Etihad campus where he was the module lead for Employability and Enterprise. A key part of his role was the planning, preparation and delivery of the modules, as well as marking. Jono also assisted on delivering lectures and seminars in place of the programme leads while also supporting third year dissertation students.
Currently, Jono is the Deputy Dean in Sports Coaching & Performance at the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) where he also leads the MSc Football Coaching & Analysis course. A key part of his role is the strategic planning, preparation and delivery of academic courses and content here in the UK and overseas. Jono is also responsible for the line management of teaching and support staff across a number of sports specific Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the year spent at UCLan. The course group of like-minded people we had were phenomenal and we learnt so much from each other. The staff were also fantastic. We, as students, were lucky to be taught by staff who had a wide range of experiences, personalities and outlooks within academia."
— Jono McPhail, MSc Sports Coaching graduate
During his studies, Jono gained practical experience as a Primary and Secondary Educational Sports Coach in Doncaster and surrounding areas, as well as taking on the role of Assistant Manager of a Sports Activity Camp in Cheltenham. He has also coached and managed a number of men’s and women’s football teams. These roles have proven to be particularly important during the master’s course when reflecting on previous experiences.
When asked if he has any advice to current students and graduates, Jono said: “For those looking to take up study, be prepared to work hard, read around your subject, aim high but don’t be too rigid with what you aim to do. Take a range of opportunities and try new experiences but be authentic when you do this.” He further added: “For graduates, cultivate honest and strong relationships with those in and out of your field of work. You never know what opportunities this might create going forward.”
