Livermore appointed Director at Hockey NSW 

After almost a decade as Head Coach of the men’s hockey team at the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS), Olympian Brent Livermore, has accepted the position of Director of Hockey and Performance at Hockey NSW.

“Brent is a passionate, innovative and athlete-focussed coach who has continued to drive outstanding performance from his athletes and fellow coaches,” NSWIS CEO Kevin Thompson said.  

 “He is incredibly knowledgeable about the sport – the history, the landscape, technical aspects, performance and what’s required to win.” 

“Whilst NSWIS will miss his incredible expertise and enthusiasm, we congratulate Brent on his appointment and look forward to continue working with him in this new role.” 

 The Olympic gold medallist first started at NSWIS as a scholarship holder in the 90s, representing Australia from 1997 – 2010. He led Australia to its first Junior World Cup in 1997 and went on to win the Olympic gold medal as the Kookaburras captain at the 2004 Athens Games, an Olympic bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Games as well as three Commonwealth Games gold medals (1998, 2002, 2006). 

 He transitioned to coaching in 2009 and set up a mini high performance academy on the Gold Coast, where the likes of rising star Rosie Malone trained.  

Five years later Livermore was back among the NSWIS community and has been employed ever since as the Head Coach of the men’s hockey team. 

 “It’s been an incredible journey and I’m very grateful for the support of NSWIS, both as an athlete and as a coach,” Livermore said. 

 “I have experienced some wonderful opportunities to further my coaching career and have enjoyed the culture and camaraderie at the organisation.” 

 Hailing from northern NSW, Livermore knows there is much untapped talent in regional areas and understands the importance of facilitating pathways for these athletes. 

 “This is a great opportunity to grow the game in regional NSW and across Australia. 

 “I like to ensure every athlete has access to reach their full potential and I’m looking forward to helping these athletes as they follow their dreams from grassroots to the Olympic Games via our Academies of Sport.” 

 Livermore has overseen the development of many athletes for the national team, including eight in the current Kookaburras team. He has coached NSW Pride to two national championships (2019 and 2022) as well as the state’s Under 21s to win the gold medal at the 2019 and 2017 national championships. He boasts an illustrious CV and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame four years ago.  

“Brent has been instrumental to the development of hockey at NSWIS and we wish him well in this new role,” Thompson concluded.