Jonathan Edmund Alexander Brady (born 14 January 1975) is an Australian soccer coach and former player who is the manager of English club Northampton Town.
Playing career
After failing to break into the first team at Wycombe Wanderers, Brady joined Hayes via a spell in Norway. He played 188 games for the Missioners in all competitions, scoring 20 goals, before transferring to Rushden & Diamonds in the summer of 1998.
Brady was a Football Conference champion with Rushden & Diamonds in 2000–01, scoring the winner at his future club Chester City on the final day of the season to make promotion mathematically certain. The following season saw him appear on the losing side for the Diamonds against Cheltenham Town in the Division Three play-off final at the Millennium Stadium.
After a brief spell at Woking, he joined Chester City and once again suffered play-off disappointment, losing the inaugural Football Conference play-offs at the semi-final stage to Doncaster Rovers. He was released from his Chester contract during their 2003–04 title winning campaign in order to join the coaching staff of Arsenal, but soon resumed his playing career with Stevenage Borough.
After losing the 2005 Conference play-off final to Carlisle United, Brady signed for Hereford United.
He subsequently joined Cambridge United, before a loan spell with Kidderminster Harriers in March 2007. He signed for Conference North side Kettering Town in June 2007.
Coaching career
Brady was appointed manager of Brackley Town in March 2009.
On 6 September 2015, Brady stepped down as manager of Brackley Town.
Northampton Town
He joined Northampton Town as U16 coach in 2016 and was promoted to U18 coach in 2017.
Following the sacking of Keith Curle on 10 February 2021, Brady was placed in temporary charge of the first team. On 4 March, it was confirmed that Brady would remain in charge of the first-team until the end of the season. In the penultimate match of the season, Northampton were beaten 3–0 by Blackpool, a result that saw Northampton immediately relegated back to League Two. Despite the relegation however Brady was appointed permanent manager in May 2021.
Brady and his side were in a good position for an immediate return to the third tier throughout the season with the automatic promotion race going down to the final day. Despite beating Barrow 3–1, Bristol Rovers beat already relegated Scunthorpe United 7–0 to move into third place on goals scored having needed to better Northampton's result by a five-goal margin prior to the day. They were subsequently defeated over two legs by Mansfield Town in the EFL League Two play-offs.
He was awarded the EFL League Two Manager of the Month award for March 2023 having led his side to thirteen points from five matches.
Brady guided Northampton Town to automatic promotion from League Two on the 8th May 2023 following a 0-1 win away to Tranmere Rovers
