The 34-year-old moves to the City Football Academy with a wealth of experience in both senior and youth football at both club and international level.
Perhaps best known to City fans from her time in charge of Bristol City, she spent over a decade at the WSL 2 side across two separate spells, first as a First Team assistant coach and 9-19 years Technical Director.
After a two-year spell with the Wales national team and a brief stint as an assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur, she returned to become the Vixens’ Head Coach ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
A third-place finish in her debut season at the helm was followed by a title-winning campaign in 2022/23, with Smith guiding Bristol City back to the Barclays Women’s Super League with a game to spare.
After leaving Ashton Gate in the summer of 2024, Smith spent the next 18 months in the England youth setup, most recently as interim head coach of the Lionesses’ Under-23s side.
She also oversaw the development of England’s U19s on a permanent basis, securing qualification to the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in September 2026.
But now Smith’s coaching journey brings her to the CFA, where her excellent player management skills and tactical nous will bolster Andrée Jeglertz’s already impressive coaching setup.
Director of Football Therese Sjogran added: “We’re delighted to bring Lauren on board to help elevate the already excellent work that Andrée is overseeing.
“Lauren is someone who has been admired by the Club for some time, so to now have her as part of the team is very exciting.
“For someone who’s still so young and hungry to develop, she’s already shown an excellent ability to get the best out of both established senior players and the next generation of talent.
“And, having worked with several of our current squad already, we’re confident this will be the start of a long and successful chapter in both Lauren’s coaching career and City’s history.”
Everyone at City would like to welcome Lauren to the Club and wish her the very best during her time at the CFA.
