Nather Al-Khatib

Nather Al-Khatib is an accomplished strategic sports leader, coach developer, and educator with over 15 years of experience across professional football, higher education, and international sports development. Since 2025, he has served as the founding Director of Athletics at the American University of Iraq–Baghdad (AUIB), where he is leading the transformation of university sports through strategic planning, infrastructure development, and student-centered programs.

He holds a UEFA A Licence, an FA Advanced Youth Award, and a Master’s in Football Coaching and Performance Analysis. His coaching career spans top-tier academies including Luton Town, Watford, Cambridge United, and Peterborough United, where he has worked with youth and senior teams, combining high-performance coaching with values-driven development.

Nather has lived, studied, and worked across three countries. His international outlook has enabled him to successfully deliver coach education programs for major football organizations including The English FA, Qatar FA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya. These engagements have strengthened his skills in presentation, communication, and cultural adaptability.

As a Coach Developer for The English FA, he has delivered both theoretical and practical coaching education to over 200 learners in the past four years, creating a learning environment that prioritizes growth, teamwork, and performance. He is known for his ability to connect with diverse audiences, foster inclusion, and unlock individual potential.

Nather has also held leadership positions in governance, serving as a Board Director at Cambridgeshire FA, where he helped lead cultural change and maintain strategic focus across a wide range of initiatives.

Before joining AUIB full-time, he served as IT Manager at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge. His dual background in IT and sports has sharpened his organizational, technological, and operational capabilities—essential for managing modern athletic programs.

In media, Nather is a regular football pundit (TV Technical and Tactical analyst) on Al Rabiaa TV and Al Arabiya etc, offering tactical insights on international and national football, including Iraq’s World Cup campaigns.

His wide-ranging leadership, coaching, and educational experience makes him a key driver in advancing student-athlete development, sports performance, and inclusive excellence in university athletics.