Rate My Professor Stewart Cotterill

Professor Stewart Cotterill serves as Head of School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Director of Education and Student Experience, and Professor of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology at Health Sciences University. He holds a BSc in Sport Science and Geography from Loughborough University, an MSc in Sport and Exercise Science (Sport Psychology) from Chichester University, a PGDip in Psychology from the Open University, and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. With over 15 years as a consultant psychologist across professional and amateur sports and performance domains, he is HCPC registered as a sport and exercise psychologist, BASES accredited as a sport and exercise scientist, a Chartered Psychologist, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Previously, he chaired the British Psychological Society Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology and served as editor emeritus for Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology, while contributing to editorial boards of other journals. As Head of School, he oversees undergraduate and postgraduate programs in rehabilitation and psychology, consultancy activities, short courses, and research initiatives, and is a member of the university's Senior Management Group. He has extensive teaching experience and has supervised numerous doctoral candidates.

Professor Cotterill's research focuses on psychological factors determining performance under pressure, leadership in sports teams, decision-making, psychological influences on military performance, and the role of social media and technology in performance. He has published extensively in applied sport and performance psychology, authoring and editing key textbooks including Team Psychology in Sports: Theory and Practice (2025), The Psychology of Performance: Theory and Practice (2018), Performance Psychology (2017), and Applied Sport & Exercise Psychology: Practitioner Case Studies (2016). Notable peer-reviewed articles include 'Athlete leadership development within teams: Current understanding and future directions' (Frontiers in Psychology, 2022), 'Player perceptions of athlete leadership and leadership development in an English Premier League football academy' (Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2022), and 'Sport psychology services to professional athletes: working through COVID-19' (International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2020). His work has contributed to advancements in athlete leadership, team functioning, and consultancy practices. He delivered the Vice-Chancellor's Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the Psychology of Winning in 2024.