Jamielee Eady Appointed U19 Head Coach
Coach Jay has overseen explosive Knights offenses in previous years.
Northants Knights Academy are pleased to announce the appointment of Jamielee Eady as the new Head Coach of our U19 programme ahead of the 2027 season.
Following Jack O’Beirne’s decision to step down as U19 Head Coach at the conclusion of the 2026 season, the club began the process of identifying the right person to take responsibility for the next stage of the programme.
Ultimately, we didn’t have to look far.
Coach Jay has been part of the Knights from the beginning and has played an important role in the development of the programme both on and off the field. After serving as Offensive Coach and, in recent seasons, Assistant Head Coach, he will now step up to take overall responsibility for the U19 team.
His promotion provides continuity for a programme he knows inside out, while giving Jay the opportunity to bring his own ideas and identity to the role.
A proven offensive coach
Jay has built a strong reputation during his time with the Knights for his knowledge of the offensive side of the game and the standards he demands from his players.
One of the highlights of his coaching career came in 2022, when he led the Knights offence during our run to the National Championship.
His development as a coach has also taken him beyond the Knights. Jay spent time in Nashville learning from Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer and the programme at Lipscomb Academy, gaining first-hand experience of an elite American high-school football environment and bringing those lessons back to Northampton.
Now, after several years working alongside the Head Coach as an assistant, Jay will take that offensive expertise into his first season leading the entire U19 programme.
He has earned a reputation among Knights players as a tough but fair coach. He expects players to work, holds them accountable and demands excellence, but does so with the development of the individual and the team at the heart of his coaching.
“I have complete trust in Jay”
Club Chairman and outgoing U19 Head Coach Jack O’Beirne believes handing the programme to someone who already understands its culture and expectations puts the Knights in a strong position heading into 2027.
“Stepping away from being Head Coach was always going to be a big decision for me, so it was really important that we put the programme into the hands of someone we completely trust.
“Jay has been there from the beginning. He understands what the Knights means, he understands the standards we expect and he isn’t afraid to demand those standards from the players.
“We’ve worked alongside each other for years and I’ve seen first-hand how much he has developed as a coach. He’s helped lead a championship-winning offence, continued to develop as our Assistant Head Coach and has gone out of his way to learn and improve his craft.
“I have complete trust in Jay to take what we’ve built and push it to the next level. This is his team now and I’m looking forward to seeing him put his own stamp on it.
“He already has a great standard of coaches to lean on, including current defensive co-ordinator Aidan McNamee, who I am sure has a huge future in coaching.
“I’ll still be here as Chairman, supporting Jay and the programme behind the scenes wherever I can, but he has absolutely earned the opportunity to lead this team.”
Jamielee was a part of the 2022 National Championship coaching staff.
Looking towards 2027
The appointment marks the beginning of a new era for the U19 Knights while maintaining the foundations that have been built over previous seasons.
With the 2026 season now complete and the programme entering its offseason, Coach Jay and his staff will use the coming months to prepare for the return to the field in January.
There will be new ideas, new challenges and a new voice at the front of the U19 programme, but the expectations remain the same.
Welcome to the top job, Coach Jay.