Managerial career
In 1999, Passmoor joined the coaching staff of Leeds United's men's team. Over the next eight years, he gained experience coaching in women's football and in youth football.[1] He later earned the role of senior academy coach.[4] Passmoor was promoted to manage Leeds United's women's senior team in 2007.[1][5] The following year, he led Leeds United to the FA Cup final,[6] where the team lost to Arsenal, 4–1.[7] In 2010, Passmoor piloted Leeds to a FA Women's Premier League Cup title and was subsequently named the FA's Manager of the Year.[3] He spent a total of four years as Leeds manager.[8]
On 1 February 2013, Passmoor was hired as the manager of Lincoln Ladies.[9] In his first competitive match at the helm, he guided Notts County to a 1–0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup;[10] the following match, Passmoor piloted the team to a victory against his former club, Leeds United, to advance to the cup semifinals.[8] He also led the team to the 2013 FA WSL Cup final later on in the year.[11] At the end of his first season in charge, Passmoor helped the club avoid a brief scare of relegation and secure a berth in the following season of the FA WSL.[12] From 2014 onwards, Passmoor managed Lincoln Ladies under the rebranded title of Notts County following a relocation to Nottingham.[4] In 2015, he guided Notts County to another League Cup final, this time against Chelsea,[1] which ended as a narrow defeat to the Women's Super League reigning titleholders.[13]
Passmoor departed from Notts County after the 2017 season. In 2018, he returned to Scunthorpe United, where he had previously played in the 1980s.[4] He rejoined the club as a Youth Development Manager before eventually reaching the position of Head of Academy Coaching and Coach Development.[11]
Passmoor returned for a second stint with Leeds United in July 2022, now managing the club as a member of the FA Women's National League North.[11] In his first season back at Leeds, he helped the team win the FA Women's National League Plate for the first time in club history.[4] Passmoor also guided Leeds to the fourth round of the FA Cup, where they faced off against Arsenal.[14]
On 4 September 2023, Passmoor was unveiled at WSL club West Ham United as one of Rehanne Skinner's assistant coaches ahead of the 2023–24 season.[2] He spent two years at West Ham, contributing to WSL table finishes in 11th and 9th place.[15] In September 2025, he left West Ham with 12 months remaining in his contract, opting to depart partially due to family-related reasons.[16]
Following the sacking of Amandine Miquel,[4] Leicester City hired Passmoor as interim head coach on 2 September 2025, ten days ahead of Leicester's season-opening WSL fixture.[16] On 10 October 2025, Passmoor was hired permanently to manage the team for the next three years after starting the season with 2 wins and 3 draws.[17][18]
