Julian Darby

Coaching career He started his coaching career at Preston and became first-team coach. He joined Billy Davies as first-team coach at Derby County in 2006.

In January 2009 he again joined up with Davies when he was appointed first team coach at Nottingham Forest. He left in June 2011 following the departure of Davies from the club and the appointment of his successor Steve McLaren.

In 2012, he returned to Bolton as U16 coach at the club's youth academy he assisted Jimmy Phillips during his brief stint as caretaker manager following Owen Coyle's sacking in October 2012.

On 7 February 2013, he returned to Nottingham Forest as first team coach to Billy Davies. Darby left the club after Fawaz Al-Hasawi brought an end to Davies' reign as manager at the club on 24 March 2014. On 20 November 2014, Darby settled with Forest out of court over an unpaid bonus case.

On 2 July 2015, it was announced that Darby had joined Uwe Rosler's backroom staff at Leeds United as first team coach.

In August 2017, it was confirmed that Darby had taken on a full-time role at the Bolton Wanderers academy, having spent the previous season coaching the U-16 team.

Upon the departure of Keith Hill as Bolton manager in the summer of 2020, Darby reverted to his old role with the club's academy. In May 2022, he was promoted from U16s Manager to U18s Manager. On 22 January 2025, after manager Ian Evatt left the club by mutual consent; Darby, Andy Taylor, and Andrew Tutte were named as joint caretaker managers. Their first game in charge was a 1–0 away win against Huddersfield Town, ending Huddersfield's 16-match unbeaten run. They took charge of one more match, a 3–1 home win against Northampton Town, before Steven Schumacher was hired as Evatt's replacement on 30 January. They returned to their youth/B team roles with a 100% winning record as caretakers. Darby's U18 team won a Treble in the 2024–25 season; winning the EFL Youth Alliance North, the EFL Youth Alliance National, and the LFA Professional Youth Cup. He was promoted to U21s Manager in June 2026.

Honours Player Bolton Wanderers Football League Fourth Division third place promotion: 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup: 1988-89

Manager Bolton Wanderers U18 EFL Youth Alliance National: 2024–25 EFL Youth Alliance North: 2024–25 LFA Professional Youth Cup: 2024–25