Hearts coaching guru Donald Park, former teacher to Hibs' golden generation, wins lifetime achievement award

Donald Park has been named as the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual UK Coaching Awards.

Hearts academy coach Donald Park has been rewarded for his services to coaching. Picture: SNS

The Hearts Academy coach was recognised at the prestigious event, this year held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, for “a lifetime dedicated to coaching”.

The 67-year-old has spent over 50 years in professional football, first as a player with Hearts, Partick Thistle, Brechin City and Meadowbank Thistle before moving into an illustrious coaching career.

A former manager at Meadowbank and co-boss at Arbroath, Park also spent time as assistant manager to John Robertson with Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hearts, and a caretaker stint in charge of Hibs.

It was at the Easter Road club where Park helped rear the ‘golden generation’ of youth graduates, including Scott Brown, Kevin Thomson, Derek Riordan, Steven Whittaker and Garry O’Connor.

He was later employed as Head of Coaching at the Scottish Football Association, a position he held for eight years until 2018, including a spell as coach of the under-19s.

In addition to his work for Hearts overseeing their academy coaches, Park still volunteers for local club Spartans where he takes the under-13s team.

Celtic captain Brown said of his former mentor: “He gave me confidence as a young kid to push myself in every aspect and to truly understand the game. He came in every day with a smile on his face and he always wanted the best for all the lads that came into Hibernian; he had so much time for everyone."

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