Tuesday 15 January 2019 13:28, UK
Jess Thirlby will leave her role as head coach of Team Bath at the end of the Vitality Netball Superleague season.
Thirlby's departure will bring an end to 20 years of service to Team Bath, as a player and head coach.
Thirlby said: "My journey with Team Bath is one that I am incredibly proud of, both as a founding player and coach. The time is right for me to celebrate that tenure and step away to explore other adventures, and afford myself some time for personal and professional growth.
"In that time I played alongside some of the sport's greatest players - Pamela Cookey, Geva Mentor, Sara Bayman, Tamsin Greenway, Rachel Dunn, Billy Bowers, Kat Ratnapala, Camilla Buchanan and others - all coached by Lyn Gunson - before stepping into a coaching role and working with other greats like Eboni, Serena and Stacey Francis.
"Team Bath is an inspirational place. The environment and people are driven and committed to being leading in their field and this sparked a passion in me to be the best I can be to help others reach their potential.
"It's also an exciting time for netball and I'm so proud to see the sport gather the momentum and gain the attention it has deserved for so long.
"I hope in making this decision when I have that I have given the University the best possible opportunity for next season's planning. I am 100 percent focused on the task at hand and this amazing team of players and staff and my commitment to our 2019 campaign is unwavering."
Stephen Baddeley, director of sport at the University of Bath, said: "Jess's contribution to netball at the University of Bath has been immense and she will be sorely missed but she leaves in place a vibrant and dynamic programme for her successor to build on."
Thirlby was Team Bath's first-ever "full-time" player in 1999 and played in their Superleague winning side in 2005-06. She also represented England as a player, and has been Team Bath's head coach for a decade.
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