Glamorgan hunt coach again as Dawson joins England

Glamorgan are searching for a fourth head coach in five years after Richard Dawson left to become the assistant coach of the England Test team.

The 46-year-old former Test off-spinner was drafted in by Glamorgan at short notice in December 2024 following the dismissal of Grant Bradburn, who had admitted using discriminatory language.

Yorkshireman Dawson subsequently signed a three-year contract extension in 2025 as he guided Glamorgan to promotion from Division Two of the County Championship in his first season in charge.

Dawson then steered them to sixth place this year - the first time the Welsh county has stayed in Division One for successive seasons.

"We knew when Richard arrived that we were appointing one of the best coaches in the country and the best possible person to take the club forward with the goals we had in mind," said Glamorgan director of cricket Mark Wallace.

"With this, comes the understanding that at some point he will likely get an offer that he can't or shouldn't refuse."

Dawson said: "It's a decision I haven't made lightly, and an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

He added: "Glamorgan will always hold a special place for me. The group here has so much talent and so much still to come, and I'll be watching with great pride."

Glamorgan were less successful over the past two seasons in the T20 Blast where the club still failed to qualify for the knockout stages despite a slight improvement in results.

Club chief executive Dan Cherry said: "We have continued to see excellent progress in our cricket performance in recent years.

"Richard has been an excellent head coach for Glamorgan and worked closely alongside Mark Wallace in improving the structures to align with our strategy of developing players and delivering strong teams.

"We all wish Richard the very best in his new role with England and thank him for his considerable efforts, which no doubt have put us in a strong position to take the club forward."

Dawson previously joined the senior England coaching team as elite performance pathway coach in 2021, having been the head coach for England Lions' tour of Australia in 2020.

He was Gloucestershire head coach for six years from 2015, leading them to One-Day Cup glory in his first season and taking them to the T20 Blast knockout stages four times.

Prior to Dawson's spell in charge at Sophia Gardens, ex-Pakistan and Scotland coach Bradburn took over in January 2024 succeeding County Championship head coach Matthew Maynard and limited-overs leader Mark Alleyne.

Former club captain and Test batter Maynard re-joined the club for a second in 2019 and was also in charge between 2008 and 2010.

Nick Webb, BBC Sport cricket commentator

The news of Richard Dawson's departure is disappointing for Glamorgan, but not a shock after he was linked with the senior England Test job in the summer and continued his winter work with the second-string England Lions.

He leaves Glamorgan with a strong reputation after winning promotion in the Championship and keeping them up in sixth place, their best finish this century.

The Welsh county's reputation will have also improved, aided by their status as a host for The Hundred and with stadium debts paid off.

Meanwhile Asa Tribe, Mason Crane and Ben Kellaway have all featured in England squads, along with several under-19 players, although there has not yet been lavish spending on recruitment for the playing squad.

Given the extent of lucrative franchise cricket around the world, it is difficult to tell which international candidates could be interested in the vacancy.

Previous Glamorgan coach Matthew Mott still has a home in Cardiff, having worked for England's white-ball side and Australia Women since his last tenure. Former Australian bowler Jason Gillespie, who had a season playing for Glamorgan, is also used to the county game after a spell at Sussex.

Among internal candidates, assistants Ian Harvey, David Harrison and Mark O'Leary could all express an interest. Meanwhile Nottinghamshire assistant Paul Franks and Somerset's Paul Tweddle are thought to have been in the running on a previous occasion.

At least the timing of this departure is better than the last change - with Glamorgan having until the New Year to get someone in place before the bulk of game-related practice begins for the players.