Thomas Frank (football manager)

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Thomas Frank
Personal information
Full name Thomas Frank[1]
Date of birth (1973-10-09) 9 October 1973 (age 48)
Place of birth Frederiksværk, Denmark[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Brentford (head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Frederiksværk BK
Teams managed
2008–2011 Denmark U16
2008–2012 Denmark U17
2012–2013 Denmark U19
2013–2016 Brøndby IF
2016–2018 Brentford (assistant)
2018– Brentford
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Thomas Frank (born 9 October 1973) is a Danish professional football coach and former amateur player, who is head coach of Premier League club Brentford.

After 18 years in youth coaching, which included spells as manager of multiple Danish national youth teams, Frank became a senior manager with Brøndby IF in 2013. After his departure in 2016, he moved to English club Brentford as assistant head coach and was promoted into the role of head coach in October 2018.

Managerial career[]

Denmark[]

After a short playing career in amateur football as a midfielder,[3] Frank began his coaching career with the U8 and U12 teams at Frederiksværk BK. He moved on to Hvidovre IF in 1998, B93 in 2005 and Lyngby in 2006.[4][5] In July 2008, he was appointed manager of the Denmark national U16 and U17 teams.[4][6] In 2011, Frank led the U17 team to the European U17 Championship finals for the first time in eight years (advancing to the semi-finals before losing 2–0 to Germany)[7][8] and to its first U17 World Cup,[9] in which the team was eliminated in the group stage.[10] Frank was promoted to the Denmark U19 manager's job in 2012,[11] but he failed to qualify for the 2013 European U19 Championship.[12]

Brøndby IF[]

Frank was named as manager of Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF on 10 June 2013, his first position in senior football.[13] He achieved 4th- and 3rd-place finishes respectively in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons, high enough to qualify for the Europa League qualification stages,[14] but failed to lead the club into the group stage in either season.[15][16] Frank resigned on 9 March 2016 after receiving criticism from chairman Jan Bech Andersen, under a pseudonym, on an online supporters' forum.[17][18]

Brentford[]

Assistant role and appointment as head coach (2016–2019)[]

On 9 December 2016, Frank moved to England to join Championship club Brentford as assistant head coach alongside Richard O'Kelly.[19] He signed a 2+1⁄2-year contract.[20] In addition to being a "bridge between the players and the coaching staff",[21] co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen revealed that Frank would also "look after the players between the B team and the first team and make sure there is a pathway for them and take care of their development".[22] In February 2018, he signed a new contract, which would run until the end of the 2019–20 season.[23]

On 16 October 2018, after the departure of head coach Dean Smith, it was announced that Frank had been promoted into the role.[24] He took over a club rocked by the recent death of technical director Robert Rowan and endured a tough start to his tenure, winning just one of his first 10 games,[25] before stabilising the team's form after a change to a 3–4–3 formation.[21] Seven points from a possible nine in January 2019 saw him nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award.[26] He guided Brentford to the fifth round of the FA Cup and an 11th-place finish in the Championship at the end of the 2018–19 season.[25]

Promotion to the Premier League (2019–2021)[]

After an uneven start to the 2019–20 season and switching back to a 4–3–3 formation,[27][28] 10 points from five matches in October 2019 saw Frank nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award.[29] With Brentford in the play-off places,[30] Frank and his assistant, Brian Riemer signed new 3+1⁄2-year contracts in January 2020.[25][31] After the season restart,[32] an unbeaten June won Frank the Championship Manager of the Month award and he oversaw Brentford's run to the 2020 Championship play-off Final,[33] which Brentford lost 2–1 to West London rivals Fulham.[34]

In late October 2020, Frank reached 100 matches as Brentford manager and at the time he had the highest winning percentage of any Brentford manager to manage 100 matches or more.[35] In the midst of a 21-match unbeaten run in league matches,[36] five wins in December 2020 won Frank the Championship Manager of the Month award.[37] In March 2021, he was nominated for the DBU Coach of the Year award.[38] Frank managed Brentford to a second-successive third-place finish during the 2020–21 regular season and went one better during the play-offs,[39] winning promotion to the Premier League after a 2–0 victory over Swansea City in the 2021 Championship play-off Final.[40] The promotion made him the second Brentford head coach to win promotion to the top-tier,[41] after Harry Curtis won the Second Division championship in 1934–35.[42] During the 2020–21 season, Frank was named the 2020 DBU Coach of the Year and was nominated for the 2021 London Football Awards Manager of the Year award.[43][44]

Premier League (2021–present)[]

Halfway through the 2021–22 season and placed 14th in the Premier League table, 9 points clear of the relegation zone,[45] Frank and his assistant Brian Riemer signed 3+1⁄2-year contract extensions on 21 January 2022.[46]

Personal life[]

Frank was awarded a BA in Physical Education by the Copenhagen Institute of Sports Medicine in 1999 and studied sport psychology and coaching-based leadership at the same institution between 2002 and 2005.[4] He also taught at Ishøj College in 2004.[4] Prior to moving to London in December 2016, Frank lived in Hvidovre.[20]

Managerial statistics[]

As of match played 5 February 2022[47]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Brøndby IF 10 June 2013 9 March 2016 103 46 29 28 044.7
Brentford 16 October 2018 present 175 80 40 55 045.7
Total 278 126 69 83 045.3

Honours[]

Brentford

Individual

References[]

  1. ^ "Manager Details: Thomas Frank". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Frederiksværk" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  3. ^ Bees Live | Which player would Thomas Frank compare himself to? (Interview). brentfordfc.com. 20 September 2019. Event occurs at 3:01. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d "U19-landstræner". 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  5. ^ "10 things to know about Thomas Frank". Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Thomas Frank ny U17-landstræner". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Denmark". UEFA.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Under-17 2011 – Denmark-Germany". UEFA.com. 15 May 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Frank aiming to write further history". FIFA.com. 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  10. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 – Groups". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Trænerrokade på U-landsholdene". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  12. ^ "U19-drenge misser EM efter nederlag". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Thomas Frank ny cheftræner i Brøndby". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Brondby Recent History". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  15. ^ "UEFA Europa League 2014/15 – History – Brøndby". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  16. ^ "UEFA Europa League 2015/16 – History – Brøndby". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  17. ^ "Brondby coach Thomas Frank quits after chairman's online forum criticism". The Guardian. 9 March 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  18. ^ "Thomas Frank færdig i Brøndby". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Danish Coach Thomas Frank joins Brentford to work alongside Dean Smith and Richard O'Kelly". Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Thomas Frank". DBU (in Danish). Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Romaine Sawyers: "I'm going to keep being me"". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  22. ^ Street, Tim (12 December 2016). "Brentford director of football reveals new coach's duties". getwestlondon. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  23. ^ "Dean Smith, Richard O'Kelly, and Thomas Frank sign contract extensions". Brentford FC. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Thomas Frank appointed new Brentford FC Head Coach". Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  25. ^ a b c "Thomas Frank signs new contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  26. ^ "Sky Bet Championship: January Manager of the Month Nominations". www.efl.com. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Brentford league performance history: League Championship table after close of play on 01 October 2019". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  28. ^ "Brentford philosophy could still lead to the Premier League". FootballCritic. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Thomas Frank misses out on Manager of the Month award". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  30. ^ "Brentford 3–2 Middlesbrough: Ollie Watkins scores late on to give Bees win". BBC Sport. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  31. ^ "Brian Riemer signs new contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  32. ^ "The journey continues as the Sky Bet Championship schedule and TV selections confirmed". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  33. ^ a b "Thomas Frank named Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for June". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  34. ^ "Championship play-off final: Brentford 1–2 Fulham (AET)". BBC Sport. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  35. ^ @BrentfordFC (25 October 2020). "Not the way we wanted to mark it but Thomas hits 100 games with the highest win percentage of any Bees manager to reach the landmark" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "Barnsley end Bees' 21-match unbeaten run". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  37. ^ a b "Thomas Frank wins Manager of the Month prize". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  38. ^ "Årets Træner 2020". DBU (in Danish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  39. ^ "Tables – Championship – England – Results, fixtures, tables and news". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  40. ^ a b Vincent, Gareth. "Bees beat Swans to reach Premier League". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  41. ^ Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  42. ^ "Remembering The Guvnor: Harry Curtis". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  43. ^ a b "Thomas Frank named 2020 Danish Coach of the Year". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  44. ^ "Thomas, Ivan, and Bryan shortlisted for London Football Awards". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  45. ^ Harris, Jay. "Thomas Frank signs new Brentford contract, will run until summer 2025". The Athletic. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  46. ^ "Thomas and Brian sign new contracts". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  47. ^ Thomas Frank management career statistics at Soccerbase
  48. ^ "Thomas Frank and Ollie Watkins win at London Football Awards". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 8 March 2020.

External links[]

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