Sam Vesty has coached at Northampton Saints since the summer of 2018, and ascended into the role of Head Coach in 2022. Under his direction, the men in Black, Green and Gold have become one of the most-exhilarating sides in Europe.
He initially made the switch to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens from Worcester Warriors to become the Club’s Attack Coach. The former Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby utility back had cut his teeth at Sixways as a coach after retiring from playing in 2013.
Vesty became the fourth generation of his family to play for Leicester Tigers in 2002 having progressed through their Academy, and made 164 appearances in total for the Welford Road outfit. Equally comfortable at fly-half, fullback, and centre, Vesty then made the switch to Bath Rugby in 2010 – one year after winning two caps for England against Argentina – and scored 121 points in 64 appearances.
After retiring from playing, Vesty began making waves straight away as a coach as he steered Worcester Cavaliers to the Premiership Rugby A League final for the very first time in the 2014/15 season, before being promoted to Backs Coach at Sixways.
Vesty joined England for a summer stint as Skills Coach – overseeing two high-octane Test victories over Argentina in 2017 – before linking up with Saints a year later.
After four seasons as Attack Coach at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, during which time Vesty instilled a dynamic playing identity blending physicality with flair, in January 2022 the Club announced that he would be promoted to Head Coach ahead of the start of the 2022/23 season.
That first term saw Saints reach the knockout stages of the Premiership, but it was the following campaign where the side hit new heights – claiming the Club’s first league title in a decade with a victory over Bath in the Final at Twickenham, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions Cup in Europe.
Northampton went one stage further in Europe the following year, qualifying for the Champions Cup’s showpiece Final in Cardiff, but the men in Black, Green and Gold were narrowly beaten by Bordeaux-Bègles.
With a proven impact on strategy and player development, Vesty remains central to Saints’ long-term ambitions. His philosophy of de-structuring opposition defences and empowering players to play what is in front of them reflects a forward-thinking approach, rooted in intelligent risk-taking.
