NZ U-17 Men’s Coach Bullock Becomes 1st Coach In Oceania To Achieve The Prestigious OFC/NZF Pro Licence Coaching Diploma

16 coaches from New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti and New Caledonia took part in the course including All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley, interim Football Ferns Head coach Michael Mayne and Tahiti coach Samuel Garcia.

The milestone marks a significant step for football development in the region, as the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) partnered with New Zealand Football to deliver the first-ever Pro Licence coaching diploma in Oceania.

As part of the course candidates were able to learn from high performers in their respective fields including observing Scott Robertson at the Crusaders, having a Q&A with Brighton & Hove Albion Chief Executive Paul Barber, and spending a day with the New Zealand Police Special Tactics Group.

This collaboration underscores a commitment to raising coaching standards and ensuring Oceania-based coaches can compete with the best in the world.

The Pro Licence is widely regarded as the global benchmark for elite-level coaches and is a mandatory qualification for managing in many of the world’s top football leagues, including Europe’s top-tier competitions.

“The OFC Pro Licence course is as good as any pro licence course anywhere in the world,” Bullock said.

The programme consisted of four comprehensive modules. The first three modules, delivered throughout 2023, focused on key leadership principles: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading Culture. The final module was all about the business of football.

“It’s improved me as a coach,” Bullock reflected. “It was not just football-centric. We worked with different organisations and people not necessarily working in football to get a different perspective.”

Each stage aimed to equip candidates with essential skills to navigate the challenges of elite coaching, from personal development to fostering strong team dynamics and creating a winning football culture.

“We are delighted to have been able to offer this learning experience for elite coaches from the region. The feedback from coaches attending has been very positive and credit must be given to Sean Douglas for creating the course and to the coaches themselves for fully contributing to the course," said OFC Head of Education & High Performance Owain Prosser said.

"Congratulations to Martin for being the first person to attain the qualification – it is a huge achievement. Martin is a perfect example of who the course is for – a skilled, knowledgeable coach working at the highest level of the game and fully committed to their personal development.

"This milestone shows that coaches from the Pacific can attain the highest coaching qualification in the world without leaving the region. This will ensure that Pacific coaches will be better placed to step into National Team roles or in the professional game," Prosser added.

Bullock’s Pro Licence is a testament to both his dedication and the value of OFC’s ongoing initiatives to nurture talent and develop football infrastructure. With this success, OFC and New Zealand Football have laid a foundation for more coaches to access world-class opportunities without leaving the region.

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