King’s Announces Olympian Ian Haley as Director of Hockey

King’s College, Taunton is proud to announce the appointment of Ian Haley, 2012 South African Olympian, as the school’s new Director of Hockey, joining the community in September 2026.

The appointment adds Olympic-level playing and international coaching experience to the region and marks another exciting chapter for sport at King’s.

Ian brings a remarkable breadth of experience across elite performance and player development. Currently serving as State Head Girls’ Youth Coach in Hamburg, Germany, he has also coached at the highest international level with the Welsh Senior Men’s Team and the Wales U21 Men’s Team.

Renowned for his strategic approach, exceptional coaching and ability to develop players within positive, high-performance environments, Ian will lead the hockey programme across both the Prep and Senior School, overseeing the continued success of the sport designed to support the next generation of King’s sporting talent.

His appointment reinforces King’s ambition to build on its already strong reputation and further establish itself as one of the leading hockey schools in the region.

Ian will work closely with Clare Hayes, Head of Performance Hockey, whose outstanding leadership has helped shape the strength and success of the current programme. Together, they will form a dynamic partnership that reflects King’s distinctive model of integrating specialist coaches and Heads of Sport across all age groups.

Ian joins the school at a particularly exciting moment as King’s launches its new Aspire Performance Hockey and Netball Programmes for girls, designed to support ambitious young athletes pursuing excellence in sport alongside academic success and strong pastoral care.

Director of Sport, Phil Lewis, commented:

“I have known Ian for some time and his track record in developing players and building strong, positive sporting environments made him the standout candidate for this role.

This is a hugely exciting appointment for King’s and for hockey in the region. We are looking forward to building on the excellent work Clare Hayes has developed within the programme. Our history of producing talented players and supporting pupils of all abilities reflects the strength of the foundations already in place, and I am sure Ian’s leadership will continue to build on that.”

Ian Haley said:

“I am absolutely delighted to be joining King’s College from September. Hockey at King’s already has a strong reputation and I am very much looking forward to building on that foundation while introducing new ideas and concepts that will continue to enhance the programme.

My aim is to grow the love and participation for the game as well as supporting the school’s top hockey talents to compete at the highest levels possible.”

Ian’s appointment marks an exciting chapter for sport at King’s, reinforcing the school’s commitment to developing confident, ambitious young athletes in an environment that encourages courage, where performance, character and a genuine love of the game go hand in hand.