Hull FC’s new reserves leader on his latest role, coaching, club progress, and the future.
Danny Houghton is Hull FC’s new reserves coach.
Hull FC legend Danny Houghton has only been in the coaching game for nigh on 15 months, but he’s already got his first promotion.
Assisting Francis Cummins in the academy setup this year, the now 36-year-old has continued the same role in pre-season this winter. However, he has also stepped up to become the club’s new reserves coach for the 2026 season and beyond.
For Houghton, it’s a huge opportunity, and while he will follow the same shapes and structures seen throughout the whole club, he also has the chance to make his own mark on his own team – a chance he is relishing.
“I’m loving it,” Houghton, speaking to Hull Live, said. “Of course, the club has its systems and its calls and we like that to run through the full club, but just to drop my own bit of piece into that pie is good.
“That’s the conversation I had, to have my own team and to put my own stamp on that, and the start to reserves pre-season has been really good. We’ve had some uni boys come in and they’ve been great – they’ve really come in and added to the sessions. We’re really chuffed with how it’s going so far.
“It’s also been a little bit surreal going from playing with some of the lads to coaching them within a year or so. I’ve flipped that switch from being pals to being their coach, but I’m me and I don’t want to change me. I just want to be me. I want to put my little spin on things, but I also want to have that good group feel, that camaraderie feel that a good team should have.
“A lot of these boys, both part-time and in the first team, have been around the system together, and they know each other well. It’s just building that tight group together. We’ve got limited time on the field with the boys who work and then getting the first-grade boys down here, but the time we have, we make it as enjoyable as we can.
“That’s it. You can have all these mad ideas, but it’s just trying to pin your head back to when you played a little bit. The game is simple and if we get the basics right and the skill side of things and the effort side, it goes a long way. It’s about stripping it back and staying relevant with the game.”
Finding a similar sense of purpose to his playing days, Houghton is thriving in his coaching roles. Assisting Academy coach Francis Cummins in 2025, the former hooker cut his cloth in a new role immediately after playing and hasn’t looked back.
“I love it, coaching; I really enjoy it,” Houghton continued. “To try and give a little back to the kids is good. It’s rewarding. We’ve got a great group as well, last year and this year, and to work with them boys and try to take them to the next level is great.
“Coming from amateur into this level, there are things that you can teach them and show them, and it’s rewarding when things come off. They are great to work with. They buy in and hang on to every word you say.
“It’s a bit surreal, too, what you have to do to get everything to work. When you’re a player, you’re in that moment; you don’t really think too much about that coaching side or what goes into setting a session up, setting the week up, planning ahead, and all that sort of stuff.
“It’s opened my eyes a little bit now I’m on the other side of the fence, but it’s great. I love doing it and I love being out here with the boys. I wouldn’t change it. I’m really enjoying myself and I enjoy doing it. Hopefully I can make something of it.”
Embracing Hull FC’s changes, Houghton sees progress at every level in every avenue. And for the 451-game veteran and the two-time Challenge Cup winner, the biggest change is the feel around the club
“That’s the biggest change, the feel around the place,” Houghton siad. “I think it’s getting that feel back, that good vibe, where you want to be part of it, and whether you’re a player, a fan, or a kid starting out in the game, it’s an exciting time for the club.
“People want to be a part of it again, which is special, and hopefully as a club we can keep building on that connection, and the good days will come back where we’ll be in it together.
“We all know we’ve got some work to do throughout the whole club, and whether it’s spoken about or not, as a club, we want to win games at every level. This sport is about winning, and while the development aspect is still there, I think that winning nature should be first and foremost as well.
“There’s no point doing all that hard graft to not be fussed about winning as well. We’re not going to win every game but the competitive element is what we’re trying to preach in training: compete at every tackle, compete every second. Hopefully that shines through and the boys can have a little bit of fun along the way with it.”
As for Houghton, who is still running his business, Humber Resin Group, alongside his coaching commitments, there is aspiration to go all the way, but there is also appreciation that it’s early days. Nonetheless, this is a coach enjoying learning his craft and keen to see what becomes of it.
“It’s still all new to me at the moment,” Houghton added. “But I’m really enjoying it. To say if I want to be a first-grade coach or not, I don’t know. I’d love to do it – of course, I’d love to do it – but whether that path evolves or not for me, we don’t know what’s around the corner, do we, and we don’t know what’s coming.
“I’ve just started the journey, but one day, I’d love to be involved with it but at this moment in time, coaching the kids is so rewarding. I’m just really happy to be part of it.”