Big Wigan Athletic manager search update emerges - Barnsley FC, Exeter City raids mooted | OneFootball

The Latics are on the search for Ryan Lowe's successor at the Brick Community Stadium

Wigan Athletic have reportedly narrowed down their shortlist of candidates to potentially replace Ryan Lowe at the Brick Community Stadium to four names.

According to Alan Nixon, two of those are currently in charge of two League One rivals in the form of Gary Caldwell and Conor Hourihane, with the duo overseeing matters at Exeter City and Barnsley respectively.

It has been a dismal season for the Greater Manchester side, as they occupy the second of four relegation spots in the third tier heading into the campaign's final weeks and months.

The aforementioned Lowe failed to see out a year in charge with the Latics after being appointed in place of Shaun Maloney last March, with a 6-1 hammering at the hands of Peterborough United at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday afternoon proving to be the final straw for the club's owner, Mike Danson.

Wigan finished 15th in League One last season after Lowe enjoyed a relatively successful first run of games in the dugout.

However, the Liverpudlian was unable to continue the previously upward-looking run of momentum he was able to generate into the current season, with relegation to League Two a clear possibility for the first time since 1997.

As such, Danson is on the hunt to name his third boss at the Brick Community Stadium in less than a year, and it has now emerged that the Latics hierarchy have eyed up four names, which include the aforementioned Caldwell and Hourihane, with both Exeter and Barnsley currently above Wigan in the table by a respectable distance.

Gary Caldwell and Conor Hourihane namedropped as potential Wigan Athletic managerial candidates

As per Nixon's aforementioned update, which surfaced on Tuesday afternoon, the former Scottish defender and Republic of Ireland international midfielder are two clear-cut candidates linked with the post in this part of the North West.

This comes after the Wigan board released a statement on Monday night after the cancellation of a fans' forum due to the necessity of a managerial search given the club's perilous situation, with a particular segment reading: "We would like to make a swift appointment to ensure the new Head Coach has the best possible opportunity to make the desired impact between now and the end of the 2025/26 Sky Bet League One season."

It was reported on Monday by Football Insider that Caldwell had emerged as the front-runner for the role, having previously taken charge of the Latics between April 2015 and October 2016.

During that timeframe, the club also won one of their three League One titles achieved within the past decade, and he has since taken charge of Chesterfield, Partick Thistle and now Exeter, where he has won 67 games out of a possible 179.

Hourihane, meanwhile, was initially appointed as interim head coach of the Tykes 11 months ago, before penning a two-year contract on April 18th, 2025.

It has been a difficult first full season in full-time management for the 35-year-old, as his side currently sit 15th despite holding play-off aspirations, but do have several games in hand.

Nixon's report states that the other two candidates are currently out of work, whilst compensation fees could also be an issue regarding potential moves for Hourihane or Caldwell.

Wigan Athletic will hope to nail latest managerial appointment amid Gary Caldwell, Conor Hourihane links

At present, it remains to be seen if either Caldwell or Hourihane see their next managerial step as moving to the Brick, even though the former has extremely close ties to the club as a manager and player, where he won the FA Cup under Roberto Martinez 13 years ago.

The landscape of Wigan as a club is extremely different, even to the one which he departed as a manager nearly 10 years ago, with the Latics being a Championship side at the time of his dismissal.