Ranking the 10 best British EFL Championship managers of all-time | OneFootball

Football League World lists the best British bosses to take charge in the EFL Championship

Since its formation in 2004, the EFL Championship has seen a whole host of brilliant British managers enter the division and lead teams to glory.

Over the years, many coaches have tried their hand at trying to guide a team throughout 46 gruelling second-tier fixtures, with most unable to find success at the end of the campaign.

However, a select few stand above as the greatest British coaches to ever take charge in the EFL Championship.

Here at Football League World, we’ve decided to rank the top 10.

Kicking off this list is Steve Cooper, who has a relatively short managerial career compared to some other names on this list.

However, what the 45-year-old has achieved in the Championship has to be admired. With Swansea City, the Welshman achieved two play-off finishes, reaching the final in 2021.

A year later, he achieved that feat for an impressive third successive year with once relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest and this time managed to get over the line, achieving promotion to the Premier League.

Although not as accomplished as other names on this list, Cooper consistently fought towards the top of the Championship during his time in the division, which can’t be said for everyone.

9 Chris Wilder

Chris Wilder is back in the Championship for a third stint with Sheffield United, the club he has enjoyed the majority of his success with during his career.

Guiding a team from League One to the top-flight is no easy feat, but Wilder managed to pull it off with the Blades between 2017 and 2019. After being dismissed whilst in the Premier League, he was reappointed by United in 2023 and was entrusted with the task of taking the Steel City side back out of the Championship.

Despite becoming just the second team to record 90 points and not secure automatic promotion in the competition’s history, Wilder was dismissed again by the Blades, only to find himself for a third stint a matter of months later.

8 Billy Davies

Billy Davies has been out of professional management for 11 years, but that doesn’t take away from the brilliant achievements he holds as a Championship manager.

The Scotsman led Preston North End to the play-off final in 2005, where they were narrowly edged out by West Ham United. He then took PNE to the play-offs the following season, but this time couldn’t get past the semi-final stage.

Davies would finally record a promotion to the Premier League in 2007 with Derby County, before reaching the play-offs twice more with Nottingham Forest.

Although his conversion rate left much to be desired, Davies knew exactly how to guide a team through 46 matches and leave them with a fighting chance of promotion.

7 Sean Dyche

Sean Dyche is perhaps remembered most for his stints in the Premier League with Burnley and Everton, but he has twice achieved the incredibly tough task of promotion from the Championship.

In 2013/14, Dyche led the Clarets to second place in the division but couldn’t keep them in the top-flight the following year. That didn’t deter the 54-year-old, however, as he took them straight back up by clinching the Championship title.

After leaving Everton, it is still yet to be seen whether Dyche decides to try his luck at securing a third promotion out of the second-tier. If he did so successfully, he could perhaps find himself higher up this list in the future.

6 Chris Hughton

Another manager with two promotions to the Premier League under his belt, Chris Hughton, enjoyed success with multiple teams in the second-tier.

He was entrusted with the task of taking Newcastle back to the Premier League following their relegation in 2009, which he subsequently achieved with a point tally of 102.

A spell in charge of Birmingham City saw Hughton reach the play-offs with a Blues side that had to balance the Championship alongside Europa League football, due to their EFL Cup triumph the previous year.

He didn’t achieve promotion then but did so with Brighton and Hove Albion five years later. Despite missing out on the title, Hughton guided the Seagulls to second place and promotion to the Premier League, where they have remained ever since.

Eddie Howe has gone on to win the EFL Cup and coach Newcastle United in the Champions League regularly, highlighting just how talented he is as a boss.

However, his earliest managerial achievements were with AFC Bournemouth in the Championship. Overseeing promotions from League Two, League One and the second-tier, Howe built an exciting team that knew how to win football matches and ultimately, league titles.

Since then, the Cherries have established themselves in the top-flight, which is all thanks to the wonders Howe managed to perform whilst in charge at Dean Court.

Our next entry is somewhat of a one-season wonder, but the magnitude of his achievement placed him so high.

Steve Coppell managed Reading to a record-holding 106-point Championship finish in the 2005/06 campaign, losing only two games throughout the entire season.

This fantastic achievement still remains unbroken, highlighting the unbelievable level Coppell had the Royals performing at.

After relegation from the top-flight in 2008, he almost led Reading straight back up the following season, but was defeated in a last game showdown against Birmingham City, who won 2-0 to secure automatic promotion, before they lost 3-0 over two legs to the eventual play-off winners Burnley.

3 Scott Parker

Despite being just 44 years of age, Scott Parker already has a managerial record matched by few in the Championship.

In three seasons, the former West Ham United and Chelsea midfielder has led Fulham, AFC Bournemouth and Burnley to promotion, yet to fail in achieving that task.

This perfect record is almost unheard of in the second-tier, but pays great tribute to just how good a coach Parker is.

2 Steve Bruce

A name intrinsically linked with the Championship, no manager has achieved promotion out of the division as many times as Steve Bruce.

After taking Birmingham City into the Premier League in 2002 and 2007, Bruce recorded another two promotions with Hull City in 2013 and 2016. An unmatched tally of four promotion campaigns is seriously impressive and explains why he ranks so high on his list.

Despite less impressive spells with Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion in later years, the magnitude of Bruce’s accomplishments almost stands above any other British EFL Championship boss.

1 Neil Warnock

If you were asked to think of a Championship manager, most likely, you’d think of Neil Warnock. Since the inception of the current second-tier 21 years ago, no coach has made quite as much of an impact as him.

The 76-year-old has achieved promotion from the division on three occasions since 2004, with the first coming with boyhood side Sheffield United in 2006. He guided QPR to the title in 2011, striking a well-documented relationship with Moroccan playmaker Adel Taarabt.

Lastly, he finished second in the Championship with Cardiff City in 2018, to round out his promotions to the Premier League.

On top of his achievements, Warnock’s iconic personality resonated with supporters across the second-tier throughout his time in management, which ultimately means he was the only option for the No.1 spot on this list.