Simon Cook has stepped down as Kent's director of cricket straight after the club won promotion back to County Championship Division One, saying he wants a more hands-on coaching role.
Simon Cook has walked away from Kent at the top. The director of cricket stepped down on 5 October 2026, immediately after the club secured promotion back to County Championship Division One, because he wants to get back into a more hands-on coaching role. Kent's head of women's cricket, Lucy Arman, is also stepping down.
| The announcement at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Who | Simon Cook |
| Role | Kent director of cricket |
| Decision | Stepped down to pursue a more hands-on coaching role |
| Timing | 5 October 2026, straight after promotion was secured |
| Promotion record | Won eight of their last 11 County Championship matches |
| Also leaving | Lucy Arman, head of women's cricket |
The promotion season
Kent finished the County Championship season with a run that sealed their return to Division One. They won eight of their last 11 matches, which was enough to take them back up for the 2027 season. Cook had been in the director of cricket seat since October 2023, when he took over from the retiring Paul Downton. He joined Kent's coaching staff in 2019 and has also been head coach of Hong Kong.
Leaving a job right after it has gone well is unusual. Cook's stated reason is that he wants to coach again, and the announcement does not say what he will do next, so there is nothing more to add on that.
What happens next at Kent
The timing lines up with a new face in the dressing room. Former England captain Adam Hollioake was appointed Kent's men's head coach on Monday 5 October 2026, on a deal until at least the end of the 2027 season. With Cook and Arman both leaving, Kent have senior roles to fill as they get ready for Division One next summer.
- Kent are back in County Championship Division One for 2027.
- Adam Hollioake is the new men's head coach, contracted until at least the end of 2027.
- Simon Cook and Lucy Arman are both stepping down from their current roles.
Building a promoted side, BuildXI style
Getting a squad up a division and then keeping it there is a lot like a BuildXI draft. You spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, take one player from each, and play fourteen league matches with the XI you end up with. The target is 14-0, which is fourteen wins from fourteen. Kent's eight wins in eleven would be a fine return in most competitions, and the draft shows how much the balance of the eleven matters when the margins get thin.