Hollman has coached at seven different professional clubs, won promotion to the top flight twice, and brought one of the most iconic goalkeeper training tools to market.
James Hollman’s coaching philosophy is based on collaboration and a thirst for knowledge. “You’ve got to be flexible in terms of relationships and how you teach,” he says, speaking to Goalkeeper.com. “Integration with the team is crucial.”
Hollman’s receptiveness, adaptability, and professionalism have laid the foundations for a distinguished coaching career that has spanned over 20 years and still has significant mileage. It has shifted the 46-year-old across the football pyramid and he’s made an impact at all levels.
Before coaching, Hollman was a scholar at Ipswich Town for two years through a Youth Training Scheme. He turned professional with the Tractor Boys in the late 1990s and was selected on the bench for the senior squad on numerous occasions, but unfortunately didn’t register a senior appearance. Hollman departed Ipswich, joined Kings Lynn and trialled for the England C team. Contracts fell through at National League sides Woking and Kettering Town so he dropped down to Chelmsford City.
But goalkeeper coaching offered Hollman an intriguing pathway back into the higher tiers of football.
“I started playing and coaching in 2000. I still had strong ties with Ipswich and they invited me to become the academy goalkeeper coach. This was another source of income and kept me involved in football. Fortunately, my team played next door to Ipswich’s training ground. I would jump the fence to play in the afternoon after morning coaching.”
This role granted Hollman the room to flourish. He also embraced the freedom and thrived with the responsibility. “Compared to the bureaucracy involved now it was quite loose,” he laughed. “I'd be there on a Tuesday and Thursday night, Saturday morning and for the game on Sunday. I would cover many bases from the U9s to the U16s. It was a good introduction in terms of mentorship as it was a sink or swim situation. I did what I wanted and was judged on the talent I produced at the end of the season.
“A coach leads the syllabus for their age group so I would report to them. I would liaise with all academy coaches about their expectations of goalkeepers. There wasn’t a specific playing philosophy so each coach could put their mark on their team. This created players with more talent and knowledge. They became more rounded individuals.”
Hollman’s upward coaching trajectory continued. He then worked with Norwich City’s academy players and Ipswich’s schoolboys, before first-team goalkeepers Andy Marshall and Rob Green asked for some sessions. Hollman’s coaching acumen and likeability were quickly recognised and in 2001, manager Nigel Worthington asked him to take the job full-time.
“The opportunity to work in the Championship as a 23-year-old doesn't happen often so I gave up playing to do it full-time.”
In the 2001/02 season, the Canaries lost the play-off final against Birmingham City on penalties but swiftly dispelled these demons and clinched the 2003/04 Championship title. Green conceded the fewest goals in the division under Hollman’s stewardship.
The coach praised the then-young prodigy: “Rob was a fantastic shot-stopper. He was focused and willing to study beyond the training ground. He did a lot of physical work off his own back. He was open to anything that I threw at him. I wasn't a dictator because he wanted to learn himself. So he'd come to me and say: ‘I've seen this. What do you think? Should we do this?’ That was the essence of our relationship, it was of mutual responsibility. We would navigate through problems together.”
Although promotion to the Premier League is one of Hollman’s most sizeable accolades, his work crafting Norwich City’s head performance academy coaching syllabus is equally impressive. It enabled Joe Lewis, Declan Rudd, Jed Steer, Remi Matthews, and Angus Gunn to develop into accomplished professionals.
“90% of my time was dedicated to building that syllabus. I did a lot of off-the-field preparation. I'd give them worksheets and booklets to read. I wanted the group to voice their opinions. They were all close in age so they wanted to learn from each other and always be pushed. The environment was fantastic. They all played for their countries and in the Premier League. They possessed a special chemistry and I was motivated to help their growth.”
Alongside his time at Norwich, Hollman described his work at Cardiff City between 2011 and 2014 as his “most enjoyable time in football.” The club reached the play-off semi-finals and League Cup final, won the Championship, and played in the Premier League. Hollman’s satisfaction stemmed from the opportunity to work with David Marshall and his substantial responsibilities.
“David was so confident. There was no drama and he just oozed reliability. He was open to anything, didn’t have a strict routine and just wanted to be sharp for Saturday. Malky Mackay gave me full autonomy over the goalkeepers. When we got promoted, he agreed with my decision to continue with David. He gave me the full license. It was enjoyable because of the success, but I was also trusted to run the department.”
However, Cardiff’s devastating League Cup final defeat to Liverpool on penalties in 2012 was a gut-wrenching moment in Hollman’s career. An unanswered phenomenon in professional football is the level of preparation that goes into penalty-taking before a major final. Hollman confirmed it’s a “huge amount.”
“At Cardiff, we had two analysts,” he continued. “They would assemble the clips and we’d sit down with the goalkeepers and show the relevant ones. You look for everything: any triggers, signals, the point of contact, body shape, and history. Some players go left, right, left right, some go two left, then two right. You search for these patterns. I remember Tom Heaton saved the first penalty by Steven Gerard. Tom identified that in the most pressurised circumstances, Gerrard often went the same way and he got it right. It comes from those discussions.”
Hollman has also ventured into the business world and founded ProDeflect: a company that creates equipment that efficiently deflects footballs, which is primarily marketed toward goalkeeping.
“I came up with the idea when I was warming up for a game in 2000. We’d arrived late at the stadium and the groundsmen had wrapped a rope around the goal area. We didn’t have time to move it and the ball deflected and it stuck with me. I pursued it because everything else on the market didn't work. It was obvious that the ball was going to get deflected and you had to serve it in a particular pace and direction to get the desired result. We need something better than this where you can hit the ball as hard as you like.”
Hollman sought advice from Harrods UK and organised design meetings. He also visited specialist tradesmen in Cornwall to find out about different techniques with the materials, before seeking the correct manufacturers.
Hollman has proudly used the equipment twice a week ever since the first model was produced until 2014. He utilised social media and his extensive goalkeeping network to market the company and gain publicity. Hollman said that 50% of the Premier League have purchased his products.
Although the company has been renamed to James Hollman Goalkeeping Products – with the Englishman now the sole trader – it still sells the equipment. The STA-Max is the most popular product. It is a massive net that is secured on the floor, covers 14.4 square metres and has 89 deflection pods to alter the movement of dipping shots to various angles.
Hollman spent the last six years at League Two outfit Newport County and has cherished the chance to spend more time with his family. He recently left the position but has a burning desire to imminently return: “I've had two job offers already. But my family is set up for me to be around. I'm going to take Christmas then try and get a coaching role as soon as possible into the new year. So hopefully there's an opportunity there somewhere.”