Former Hartlepool United manager back in football after being appointed to "exciting" new role
Former Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll has been appointed as the technical director and head of coaching at Canadian side Kamloops United FC.
Kamloops, who are based in western Canada, are a semi-professional side competing in League1 British Columbia.
Sarll, who led both Woking and Yeovil to the National League play-offs prior to his appointment at Victoria Park, ranks among the most controversial managers in the club's recent history. Sarll, who was heavily linked with the Pools job when Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips was named manager in January 2024, was appointed three months later in contested circumstances. Phillips, who other than a humbling 7-1 mauling at rivals Gateshead had done a commendable job in the North East, alleged through his representatives that the club had offered him a new two-year contract after he'd met an agreed target of 60 points, only to later withdraw it in favour of Sarll. Despite that inauspicious start, there were some promising signs in the opening weeks and months of Sarll's tenure as the straight-talking boss set about on a complete overhaul of his squad, targeting players with links to the North East and reputations for reliability and robustness. Renowned for a commitment to direct football and arriving with a reputation for a bullish approach to conflict and confrontation, Sarll led Pools to seven points from his opening three National League matches but it wasn't long before the wheels fell off in dramatic fashion. Pools struggled for goals, failing to score in almost seven hours of football at Victoria Park, and with discipline, receiving four red cards in their opening 10 matches. Results soon took a turn for the worse and Sarll's unique approach to dealing with criticism did not sit well with fans; he branded some supporters as "clever Dicks" after Pools were beaten by Forest Green Rovers in September, failing to score for a fourth game in succession, while he blasted "unacceptable levels of personal abuse" following a remarkable win over Sutton at the end of October. Even that result, which saw Pools come from two goals down to win 4-3, couldn't save Sarll and the writing was on the wall when his side were dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage by Brackley, then of the National League North. In total, Sarll won four, drew five and lost six of his 15 games at the helm.
"I am really excited to take on this challenge and project with Kamloops United," Sarll said following his appointment in Canada.
"It comes at a really important time in my career whereby I wanted something new, exciting and from the ground up. I have been very fortunate to have coached all over the world and have had experiences of the English Football League, Premier League and National League in both the senior areas, academies and player/coach development.
"I hope my experiences and qualifications can inspire young players and aspiring coaches to help achieve their ambitions and aims to help the team at Kamloops evolve their provision further. From what I have witnessed, huge strides have been made and I believe that I can further help this objective.
"This opportunity represents an exciting life change for myself and my family and we cannot wait to experience everything Kamloops has to offer."