The top 8 best EFL Championship managers in 2026/27 according to the stats | OneFootball

FLW looks at the best second-tier managers based on their PPG record throughout their dugout careers

The 2026/27 Championship campaign is filled with talented managers, but who statistically stands out from the rest?

There are a plethora of different head coaches who are in different stages of their careers, from those with hundreds of games under their belts, such as Phil Parkinson and Chris Wilder, to those at the beginning of their time in the dugout, like James Morrison and Tonda Eckert.

Regardless of how long a coach has been number one for, though, a points per game record can often separate the wheat from the chaff and indicate who has had the most success in their career thus far.

Taking into account caretaker spells and first team games managed, not youth or B team games, per Transfermarkt's PPG stats, here are the top eight Championship managers with the highest PPG heading into next season.

8 ? ? Kim Hellberg - 1.58

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Kim Hellberg is one of the brightest, most exciting coaches throughout the whole EFL, taking the Championship by storm with his brand of 'Hell-ball' over the six months since he came to Middlesbrough.

Before then, though, he had a glowing record in Sweden, managing the likes of Sylvia, Varnamo and, more recently, Hammarby, where he challenged for the top-flight title.

All of that spans 200 games in charge of senior outings, with a 1.58 PPG record enough to squeeze him into the top eight in the second tier.

7 ? ? James Morrison - 1.67

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These records often tend to favour younger managers who have only been in the dugout for a season or two. In James Morrison's case, the new West Brom boss has only managed a mere 15 times as the number one during three caretaker spells at the Hawthorns, where he's collated 1.67 points per game.

The recent spell, which earned him the permanent role towards the end of the 2025/26 campaign, saw the Baggies go on a 10-game unbeaten run to steer clear of what would have been a disastrous relegation to League One.

All eyes are on what he can do now that he's the permanent boss, and with the threat of relegation not looming over him. If he can maintain these results, West Brom will be on track for a return to the play-offs come May.

6 ? ? Nuno Espirito Santo - 1.67

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Also averaging 1.67 points per game throughout his managerial career is Nuno Espirito Santo, albeit the West Ham boss' record is slightly more impressive, having taken charge of over 500 games more than James Morrison.

The Portuguese boss has spent time in the dugout at the likes of Valencia and Porto, two top sides in their respective divisions, as well as Wolves, where he won the Championship and then engineered back-to-back seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League.

His best record came in the Saudi Pro League, though, with Al-Ittihad, where he averaged 2.26 PPG over 53 games, winning the 2022/23 league title and the cup in 2022.

West Ham is actually the dugout where he's experienced the least success, which makes sense, with the Hammers suffering relegation under him this past season. Now, back in the Championship, he'll be hoping to increase this record, which already has him in the top six.

5 ? ? Michael Skubala - 1.7

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New Bristol City boss Michael Skubala had a brilliant record at Lincoln City in his first permanent managerial role, which culminated in him taking the Imps on a 29-game unbeaten run to win League One with 103 points.

The Robins will be hoping that he can continue that level of performance in the dugout at Ashton Gate as they aim to get back into the play-off conversation after regressing slightly last season under Gerhard Struber and then Roy Hodgson.

A 3-game run as Leeds United's caretaker boss, where he picked up just one point, stops him from climbing into the top four, but it's a respectable fifth-placed spot for Skubala.

4 ? ? Steven Schumacher - 1.7

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Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher, who earned promotion alongside Skubala and Lincoln, will be raring to go in the Championship next season, as he's shown he's among the better third-tier bosses in recent history.

His sacking from Stoke City back in 2024 was seen as slightly harsh at the time, and he'll be looking to prove people wrong after winning promotion from League One for the second time in his short managerial career.

It'll be difficult to maintain a 1.7 points per game record back in the second tier with a newly promoted side, but for now, it's a top-four spot for Schumacher.

3 ? ? Philippe Clement - 1.9

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There's a sizeable gap between the top three and the rest of the division. Given Norwich City boss Philippe Clement's lengthier career compared to the top two, this is arguably the most impressive managerial record in the division heading into the new season.

An 86-game spell at Rangers is always going to bump up the averages, and a 2.09 PPG record is easily his best, but since he moved to Genk in 2017, his PPG hasn't dipped below the 1.73 he recorded during his time at Monaco, where he was sacked for finishing sixth in Ligue 1.

Right now, his record through half a year at Norwich stands at 1.82 PPG and in 2026, the Canaries averaged two points per game through 22 outings, so there's plenty to look forward to at Carrow Road next season.

2 ? ? Chris Davies - 1.92

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Chris Davies' two seasons in first-team management have seen him lead Birmingham City to the League One title with an EFL record points tally of 111 and then follow that up with a 10th-placed finish in their first season back in the Championship.

His overall ppg in 2025/26, though, was just 1.4, which shows how much of the heavy lifting that debut campaign is doing. If he can't lead the Blues to a play-off charge next season, this number will definitely drop rather drastically.

If he can return to anything like his 2024/25 PPG record, however, then Birmingham may well be playing Premier League football in the not-so-distant future.

1 ? ? Tonda Eckert - 2.1

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When it comes to points per game, Tonda Eckert stands out above the rest, as he was the man who led Southampton from an early-season relegation battle under Will Still to the FA Cup semi-final and the Championship play-offs.

Whether his 2.1 PPG was obtained over decent means is another question; however, after the Saints were found guilty on three counts of spying on the opposition, expelled from the play-off final and docked four points to start the 2026/27 campaign.

Regardless, there's no doubting that Southampton have been incredibly impressive under the German boss, losing just six of his 40 games in charge both as caretaker and then the permanent manager when he was given the job last December.