Top 11 oldest EFL Championship managers right now | OneFootball

A run down of the second tier's most experienced coaches

The Championship has developed a reputation for being one of the most demanding managerial environments in English football, with clubs regularly turning to experience when the pressure mounts.

The division's current crop of managers ranges from relatively young coaches making their first steps in the second tier to veterans who have spent decades navigating the EFL.

Age is no guarantee of success, but it can bring a depth of experience that is difficult to replicate.

From established promotion winners to managers who have worked their way up from the lower reaches of the game, these are the 11 oldest managers currently working in the Championship.

11 ? ? Cesar Peixoto - 46

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Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Cesar Peixoto starts the list at 46, having already accumulated seven years of senior management experience despite his relatively young age.

The Portuguese coach began his managerial career with Varzim in his homeland in 2019, before going on to manage a number of clubs in Portugal.

His appointment at Wolves at the beginning of the 2026/27 season represents the first overseas move of his managerial career.

Peixoto agreed a two-year contract at Molineux, taking on his first job in English football and a particularly demanding challenge given Wolves' recent struggles.

10 ? ? Alessio Dionisi - 46

Just one month older than Peixoto, Alessio Dionisi is the second 46-year-old on the list.

The Italian has been coaching for more than a decade, beginning his managerial career with Olginatese in 2014 after a 15-year playing career as a centre-back.

Dionisi subsequently worked his way through Italian football before earning recognition at Empoli and Sassuolo, where his performances brought him into the Serie A spotlight.

He is now taking on a new challenge in England with Watford, adding an international chapter to a managerial and playing career that had previously been spent entirely in Italy.

9 ? ? John Eustace - 46

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John Eustace is the first Englishman on the list and has built a managerial career largely around the Championship and its surrounding divisions.

After ending his playing career in 2015, Eustace moved quickly into coaching, taking charge of Kidderminster Harriers the following year.

His subsequent spells at Queens Park Rangers, Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers have given him extensive experience of the pressures associated with managing in the second tier.

Eustace has been Derby County's manager since February 2025.

8 ? ? Brian Barry-Murphy - 48

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Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy is the final manager on this list in his 40s.

The Cork-born former midfielder first appeared on the EFL managerial scene with Rochdale in 2019, making an immediate impression with his progressive approach.

He left Dale in 2021 to become head of Manchester City's academy, spending several years working within one of English football's most sophisticated development structures.

Barry-Murphy subsequently joined Ruud van Nistelrooy's coaching staff at Leicester City before returning to senior management with Cardiff.

His appointment at the Welsh club has already proved highly successful, with Barry-Murphy overseeing promotion back to the Championship.

7 ? ? Philippe Clement - 52

Norwich City boss Philippe Clement is one of the most decorated managers currently operating in the Championship.

The Belgian spent much of his managerial career in his homeland, winning the Belgian Pro League with Genk and twice with Club Brugge.

He also won the Belgian Super Cup and collected a number of individual honours during an exceptionally successful period.

Clement moved abroad with Monaco before taking charge of Rangers in 2023, where he added the Scottish League Cup to his honours list. His spell in Glasgow ended in 2025, and he subsequently moved to Norwich nine months after leaving Ibrox, succeeding Liam Manning.

His playing career was similarly distinguished. A centre-back, Clement won 38 caps for Belgium and represented his country at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

6 ? ? Nuno Espirito Santo - 52

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Few managers in the Championship can match Nuno Espirito Santo's breadth of experience.

The Portuguese began his coaching career as a goalkeeping coach at Malaga and Panathinaikos before taking his first senior managerial position with Rio Ave.

He subsequently worked in Spain, Portugal and England, managing Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

Nuno also spent time in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad before returning to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest. He is now in charge of West Ham United, having signed a three-year contract in 2025 following Graham Potter's dismissal.

His relegation with the Hammers last season was the first of his managerial career.

5 ? ? Nathan Jones - 53

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Nathan Jones has spent much of his managerial career moving between clubs and divisions, but his latest appointment represents something of a return to where it all began.

Jones started his coaching career with Charlton Athletic's academy before moving into senior management with Luton Town. His success at Kenilworth Road earned him opportunities with Stoke City and Southampton, while he also spent time on Brighton & Hove Albion's coaching staff.

His Southampton spell was brief, but Jones rebuilt his reputation after returning to Luton and subsequently guided the club to promotion from League One.

He returned to Charlton in 2024 and delivered promotion to the Championship in 2025.

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Mark Robins is one of the modern EFL's great managerial survivors.

His senior management career began when he took caretaker charge of Rotherham United in 2007, meaning he is now in his nineteenth year as an EFL manager.

Robins is best know - of course - for his extraordinary spell at Coventry City, where he spent almost eight years across two separate periods and ultimately guided the Sky Blues from League One to the Championship, before taking them to the brink of the Premier League.

His departure from Coventry in November 2024 ended one of the longest managerial tenures in the English professional game. At that point, only Pep Guardiola and Simon Weaver had been in charge of their clubs for longer among managers in the top four tiers.

Robins is now attempting to revive Stoke City's fortunes, bringing nearly two decades of EFL experience to the Potteries.

3 ? ? Chris Wilder - 58

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Chris Wilder's managerial journey began far removed from the Championship.

The Sheffield United boss started at non-League Alfreton Town, where he won four trophies in 2001 before gradually working his way through the divisions. Spells with Halifax Town, Oxford United and Northampton Town followed, while he has also managed Middlesbrough and Watford.

Wilder's greatest achievements have come with United. He first guided the Blades to promotion from League One in 2016/17 before taking them into the Premier League two years later.

He is now in his third spell at Bramall Lane, having returned to a club with which his managerial career is synonymous.

With more than 1,100 matches as a manager behind him, Wilder's 58 years have been accompanied by an enormous amount of experience across the pyramid.

2 ? ? Phil Parkinson - 58

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Phil Parkinson has been managing for more than two decades and remains one of the most experienced figures in the Championship.

His managerial career began with Cheltenham Town in 2003, before he went on to take charge of Hull City, Charlton Athletic, Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland.

Parkinson's reputation was built largely on his ability to deliver promotion. He led Charlton into the Championship in 2012 and Bradford into the League One play-offs, before taking charge of Wrexham in 2021.

His time in north Wales has been the defining chapter of his career. Parkinson guided Wrexham out of the National League and followed that with another promotion to the Championship, securing back-to-back promotions under the club's new ownership.