Kaitlin following in dad Gavin Hunt’s footsteps

Kaitlin following in dad Gavin Hunt’s footsteps

Earlier last month, Safa confirmed two high-profile names had enrolled for its coaching course hosted in Ekurhuleni – chairman of Mamelodi Sundowns, Tlhopane Motsepe, as well as Kaitlin Hunt, daughter of coach Gavin Hunt.

This seemed a natural progression for Kaitlin considering father Hunt, now 58, played for Hellenic and Cape Town Spurs in yesteryears…more than 300 appearances in the old National Soccer League (NLS) as a defender. 

His coaching career has made him one of the most decorated in the Premier Soccer League, a four-times title winner with SuperSport United [three times] and Bidvest Wits. 

Kaitlin has got a long way to go, and she’s kicking things off with the entry level D License before aiming higher.

"It came as a bit of a shock to me, we got treated a bit differently and we got looked at a bit differently. It's nice to know that people know that I'm on the course, and that we are educating ourselves and learning. I got stopped in the mall and someone said to me 'awu coach', so it's nice to know that we are out there and getting educated," she told SABC Sport

Her focus is not just the coaching badges, although that is the ultimate goal, but for now being a biokineticist by profession will do – and it ties in perfectly with her love for sport.

She says her target is to be a top coach, and dad is watching with a keen interest too. 

"So, my aim at the moment is to be a coach, I would like to coach, that's the whole goal of this. I want to further my progression in coaching. I want to get more licenses. I want to coach a team, although I'm educating myself I want to be on the field. That's the whole goal of doing the Safa courses," she added.

With her famous father’s wealth of experience as a former player who went on to collect accolades and coach one of the biggest clubs on the continent in Kaizer Chiefs for brief spell, Kaitlin believes it only made sense to get tips from Hunt, who returned to SuperSport United last year.

"You know growing up with my dad, I was always at the games, listening to him talk. Hearing the tactics and hearing the football behind it, I've always been a supporter and I think now I would like to be a coach. I tap into his knowledge a lot and I ask him a lot of questions. I think I've got something and I want to see where football can take me," she explained.