When Anthony McGrath retired as a player with Yorkshire in early 2013, he described it as “my dream job”. Now he is back home about to embark upon another journey which could very well bring him just as much reward.
Former batting all-rounder McGrath, who celebrated his 49th birthday at the start of the week, has been appointed as Yorkshire’s new men’s head coach, returning to God’s Own County following a period of significant success with Essex, where he was both assistant and head coach.
Having initially worked as a coaching consultant at Yorkshire in one of his first post-playing roles, alongside some media work, Mags – as he is popularly known – moved to Chelmsford in 2016 as assistant to Chris Silverwood, who he would later replace in the top job following his departure to England’s set-up.
Essex were promoted from Division Two in 2016 as champions and won the top-flight title the following summer.
Then, under McGrath’s leadership, Essex won the Championship and Vitality Blast double in 2019 and triumphed again in the Bob Willis Trophy the following summer.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath celebrates the final century of his playing career, against Derbyshire at Headingley in August 2012.
Following the 2019 double win, he was voted by his peers as Coach of the Year – an award presented by the ECB Coaches’ Association.
Yorkshire fans will hope the trend continues as McGrath is no stranger to winning silverware. In 2001 and 2002 respectively, he helped Yorkshire win the County Championship and Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy titles.
McGrath, who captained Yorkshire in 2008 and 2009, scored 14,091 runs and took 128 wickets with his canny seamers in a 242 first-class games for the county, for whom he debuted in 1995 as a 19-year-old.
In all competitive cricket for Yorkshire, he scored 22,714 runs and took 230 wickets from 583 appearances.
Capped 18 times by England – four Tests and 14 one-day internationals – he made his international debut on the same day as Jimmy Anderson in late May 2003, against Zimbabwe at Lord’s.
Picture by Tom Shaw/Getty Images. Anthony McGrath and James Anderson receive their England Test caps from chair of selectors David Graveney at Lord’s in May 2003, against Zimbabwe.
McGrath takes over a talented Yorkshire squad who are brimming with confidence following promotion last month.
Of course, it will be tough to achieve the rare feat Essex and McGrath, as assistant coach, achieved in 2017 of winning the Championship title immediately after a promotion campaign. But it’s not out of the question by any means.
As aforementioned, Yorkshire won the C&G Trophy title in 2002 with McGrath in that side as a linchpin all-rounder. That was the county’s last piece of limited overs silverware, so breaking that baron run will be a priority for the Bradfordian.
Already a Yorkshire legend, McGrath now has the chance to enhance his legacy at Headingley on the other side of the boundary rope.
Welcome home, Mags.
Picture by Ben Duffy/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath celebrates winning the C&G Trophy title at Lord’s in 2002.
