Nottingham Forest’s Chris Cohen has joined Luton Town as a first-team coach and will work alongside Mick Harford and Paul Hart in supporting Hatters manager Nathan Jones for the 2020/21 campaign.
Cohen, 33, announced his retirement from football in 2018 after starting his playing career with West Ham, before moving permanently to Yeovil in 2006 following a successful loan spell.
Jones and Cohen spent a season together at Huish Park, before he left the following season to join Nottingham Forest where he went onto make over 300 appearances and then kick off his coaching career.
The Hatters manager said: “Chris is someone I’ve known for a long time. I played with him and we were very close friends, but I followed his career closely.
“Then when I left my previous employment, I was looking to freshen my staff up in certain areas and I did a lot of research on up and coming coaches, people who would really fit in with me.
“Chris was one of those, and when Gary gave me the nod and said I could bring someone in, Chris was the one for me, so I’m delighted.
“He started over the weekend in terms of being around the environment and seeing it, and today he’s officially started on the grass.”
Norwich-born Cohen said: “I went down to Yeovil on loan from West Ham as a youngster trying to make my way in the game and Nathan looked after me, mentored me and showed me what it was like to be a professional footballer.
“I’d done it a little bit at West Ham, but he showed me the real way of doing it and I learned so much from him, real good life lessons that allowed me to go on and have an OK career after that.”
The former midfielder spent 11 years at the City Ground as a player and a further three as a member of the coaching team – first as an Academy Technical Coach and more recently as an Under-23 coach.
“I’ve been coaching for three years now since retiring, having taken the Under-23s at Forest and we’ve had lots of success, with plenty of boys getting into the first team and things like that,” he added.
“But I always wanted to be in and around a first team as soon as possible and the pathway wasn’t there at Nottingham Forest anymore for me.
“So to have an opportunity to come to a real progressive club and somewhere that is looking upwards is a fantastic chance for me. I feel really fortunate to be here at Luton, and looking forward to working with some great people.
“After speaking with Gary and Nathan for the last couple of months, I’m just glad to be here and to be part of something progressive, with the same values as I have about hard work and bringing that work ethic every single day.
“You can see the results of it with what the boys are getting on the pitch. That comes from players, fans, the board, everyone sticking together and doing the right thing, and I’m looking forward to being a small part of helping the club keep going forward.”
