Aston Villa confirm appointment of Dean Smith as new head coach and John Terry as assistant
Smith, the former Brentford and Walsall boss, is a lifelong Villa fan
Aston Villa have confirmed the appointment of Dean Smith as their new head coach, with John Terry named as assistant coach.
The Championship club have also brought in Jesus Garcia Pitarch as sporting director to complete an overhaul of their major positions, after sacking Steve Bruce and his backroom staff.
Villa CEO Christian Purslow said: “These three appointments represent the start of a new era and direction at Aston Villa and we are delighted to secure their services after an extensive search.
“Dean has a clear and successful coaching philosophy as well as a real understanding of Aston Villa Football Club. He is also knowledgeable about the Championship.
“The board welcomes him to the club and is looking forward to working with him and his staff."
Smith is a lifelong Villa fan and has left Brentford to take charge of Villa.
The Bees are currently seventh in the Championship - eight places above Villa - and have placed Thomas Frank in temporary charge as they begin the search for a new boss.
Terry's appointment as Smith's No.2 comes less than a week after he announced his retirement as a player.
The Chelsea legend enjoyed a successful campaign at Villa last season after ending his glittering 19-year spell at Chelsea.
Purslow added: "John is one of the most decorated players in English football, has an affinity with the club and is ready to make the next step in his career working alongside Dean".
Pitarch, meanwhile, has been confirmed as Villa's new sporting director, having held similar roles at both Valencia and Atletico Madrid.
“And Jesus also brings a huge amount of experience in his particular role having worked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe," said Purslow.
"He will ensure the club has an integrated approach running from the academy through the U23s and into the first-team.”
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Brentford, meanwhile, confirmed assistant head coach Frank would take training on Thursday ahead of a planned weekend off with no fixture because of the international break.
The west London club added on Twitter: "We would like to record our thanks for all the hard work done by Dean during his near three years at Griffin Park.
"We will make a further announcement on the first team coaching structure in due course."
Assistant manager Richard O'Kelly followed Smith to Griffin Park in November 2015. Brentford said his position would be "clarified in the coming days".