The longest managerial reign in association football belongs to Englishman Jimmy Davies who was manager of Waterloo Dock for 50 years. Second to this, Fred Everiss was manager of Football League team West Bromwich Albion for over 45 years, starting his reign in 1902 and ending when he retired in 1948. [1] [a] The longest post-war reign belongs to Frenchman Guy Roux, who managed Auxerre in three separate reigns totalling 44 years, taking them from France's fifth division to become Division 1 champions in 1996. [2] [3]
Managerial reigns in football have decreased since the 1960s, and by 2015, the average spell in England's top four divisions was 1.23 years. [4] [5] Managers such as Pep Guardiola and Béla Guttmann have been proponents of a "three-year rule", [6] [7] as has football journalist and author Jonathan Wilson, who writes that managers can succumb to a "fatalistic idealism" beyond this period, describing it as similar to a Greek tragedy. [8]
In the early decades of organised football, team selection was often conducted by committee among the club directors, with an appointed 'secretary-manager' dealing with player contracts and other administrative tasks, assisted by 'trainers' dealing with coaching and fitness matters. [9] [10] As the secretary role was largely clerical and often occupied by one of the directors, they tended to remain in post for many years regardless of results in the short term. Until after World War I, some clubs never had a manager by name.
As demands and expectations on officials increased both on and off the field, gradually specialist roles became commonplace, and by the end of the 1930s, it was common for clubs in the British Isles to have an official manager as a figurehead dealing with most or all team matters, but with less long-term job security than the secretary-managers of old. Elsewhere, the separation between the office and pitchside functions persisted: the head coach in charge of training and match tactics became increasingly respected and prominent, but meanwhile while a figure closer to the ownership in the role of general manager, sporting director [11] [12] or director of football [13] [14] maintained control over financial and commercial aspects, with the levels of influence and balance of power between the coach and director varying between clubs and nations. [15] [16] [17] [18] As in the earlier era, the director would often have a tenure of several years to oversee the overall progress of the club, while the head coach would typically keep their job only for as long as the on-field results were positive.
For the purpose of this list, a separation has been made between pre-World War II reigns, which includes many secretary-managers, and the period after the conflict ended when regular competitions resumed in most countries, and longer managerial/head coach appointments became far less commonplace. For those whose terms spanned World War II, they have been placed in the section covering the majority of their reign. Long serving head coaches in international football are also recorded separately below.
Rank | Manager | Club | From | To | Length | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1902 | 31 May 1948 | 45 years, 304 days | [1] [19] [20] |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1897 | 1 February 1940 | 42 years, 153 days | [19] [21] [22] |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1884 | 31 May 1926 | 41 years, 303 days | [23] [24] [25] |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1885 | 1 June 1922 | 36 years, 304 days | [26] [27] |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 30 April 1911 | 1 May 1946 | 35 years, 1 day | [28] |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1895 | 1 January 1930 | 34 years, 153 days | [29] |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 May 1920 | 15 June 1954 | 34 years, 26 days | [19] [22] [30] |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1899 | 1 April 1932 | 32 years, 336 days | [31] |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1902 | 1 April 1933 | 30 years, 274 days | [32] |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1902 | 1 November 1932 | 30 years, 214 days | [33] |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1891 | 31 May 1920 | 28 years, 304 days | [34] |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1910 | 1 April 1938 | 27 years, 243 days | [35] |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1907 | 1 June 1933 | 25 years, 304 days | [36] |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 August 1908 | 21 April 1934 | 25 years, 249 days | [37] |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 August 1903 | 1 April 1929 | 25 years, 229 days | [38] [39] |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 February 1905 | 1 June 1930 | 25 years, 106 days | [40] |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1919 | 1 August 1944 | 25 years, 31 days | [41] |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1912 | 31 May 1935 | 22 years, 303 days | [42] |
19 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1905 | 5 May 1928 | 22 years, 278 days | [43] |
20 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1926 | 1 February 1949 | 22 years, 276 days | [44] |
21 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1892 | 31 May 1908 | 22 years, 276 days | [45] |
22 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1911 | 1 May 1933 | 22 years, 0 days | [46] |
23 | ![]() | ![]() | 16 August 1902 | 9 February 1924 | 21 years, 177 days | [47] [48] |
24 | ![]() | ![]() | 19 August 1899 | 2 May 1920 | 20 years, 257 days | [49] |
25 | ![]() | ![]() | 3 October 1925 | 26 January 1946 | 20 years, 115 days | [50] |
26 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 August 1904 | 19 April 1924 | 19 years, 243 days | [51] [52] |
27 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1927 | 1 June 1946 | 19 years, 0 days | [53] |
28 | ![]() | ![]() | 26 July 1896 | 16 May 1915 | 18 years, 294 days | [54] |
29 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1907 | 1 November 1925 | 18 years, 214 days | [55] |
30 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 August 1919 | 11 December 1937 | 18 years, 118 days | [56] |
31 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 November 1932 | 1 August 1950 | 17 years, 273 days | [57] |
32 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 August 1929 | 3 May 1947 | 17 years, 266 days | [58] |
33 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 October 1908 | 28 March 1926 | 17 years, 162 days | [59] |
34 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 December 1906 | 24 April 1924 | 17 years, 124 days | [60] |
35 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1901 | 31 May 1918 | 16 years, 303 days | [61] |
36 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1927 | 31 March 1944 | 16 years, 274 days | [27] [62] |
37 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1906 | 30 June 1922 | 15 years, 333 days | [63] |
38 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1919 | 31 May 1935 | 15 years, 303 days | [64] |
39 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1910 | 31 May 1926 | 15 years, 303 days | [65] |
40 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1925 | 1 May 1941 | 15 years, 273 days | [66] |
41 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 November 1905 | 30 June 1921 | 15 years, 241 days | [67] |
42 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 November 1919 | 27 April 1935 | 15 years, 156 days | [68] |
43 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1934 | 30 May 1949 | 15 years, 29 days | [69] [70] |
44 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 April 1935 | 1 May 1950 | 15 years, 4 days | [71] [72] |
45 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1910 | 30 June 1925 | 14 years, 302 days | |
46 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 March 1932 | 1 November 1946 | 14 years, 245 days | [73] |
47 | ![]() | ![]() | 31 July 1910 | 4 December 1924 | 14 years, 183 days | [74] |
48 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 August 1904 | 1 February 1919 | 14 years, 165 days | [75] |
49 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1913 | 1 February 1927 | 14 years, 31 days | [76] |
50 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1920 | 1 December 1933 | 13 years, 183 days | [77] |
51 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1924 | 20 November 1937 | 13 years, 111 days | [78] [79] |
Rank | Manager | Club | From | To | Length | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1964 | 30 June 2000 | 35 years, 365 days | [22] [80] [81] |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 December 1986 | 5 March 2016 | 29 years, 95 days | [22] [82] |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 November 1986 | 19 May 2013 | 26 years, 194 days | [22] [80] |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1968 | 27 October 1992 | 24 years, 118 days | [80] [83] |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 9 June 1983 | 1 July 2007 | 24 years, 22 days | [80] |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 August 1983 | 1 June 2007 | 23 years, 304 days | [22] |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 October 1945 | 4 June 1969 | 23 years, 246 days | [84] |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | 16 May 1933 | 1 October 1956 | 23 years, 138 days | [85] |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 19 August 1935 | 30 April 1958 | 22 years, 254 days | [86] |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 October 1996 | 13 May 2018 | 21 years, 224 days | [80] |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 December 1971 | 15 May 1993 | 21 years, 160 days | [87] [88] |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 2001 | 2 April 2022 | 20 years, 275 days | [89] |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1932 | 1 August 1952 | 20 years, 61 days | [90] |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | 11 August 1945 | 6 March 1965 | 19 years, 207 days | [91] [92] |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | 23 February 2005 | 17 July 2024 | 19 years, 145 days | [93] |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 November 1937 | 28 April 1956 | 18 years, 153 days | [94] |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | 3 January 1975 | 8 May 1993 | 18 years, 125 days | [80] |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 1955 | 18 November 1973 | 18 years, 78 days | [95] |
19 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1939 | 1 June 1957 | 18 years, 61 days | [96] |
20 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 September 2007 | Present | 17 years, 166 days | [97] |
21 | ![]() | ![]() | 30 April 1979 | 10 December 1994 | 17 years, 124 days | [98] [99] |
22 | ![]() | ![]() | 25 December 1937 | 23 April 1955 | 17 years, 119 days | [100] [101] |
23 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 January 1997 | 30 April 2014 | 17 years, 116 days | [102] |
24 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 October 1962 | 19 January 1980 | 17 years, 105 days | [103] |
25 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 September 2004 | 1 November 2021 | 17 years, 61 days | [104] [105] |
26 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 October 2005 | 18 August 2022 | 16 years, 312 days | [106] [107] |
27 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 October 1951 | 1 August 1968 | 16 years, 305 days | [108] |
28 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1960 | 22 March 1977 | 16 years, 294 days | [80] |
29 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 April 1942 | 31 July 1958 | 16 years, 121 days | [109] |
30 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 June 1948 | 1 August 1964 | 16 years, 61 days | [27] [110] |
31 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 August 2008 | Present | 16 years, 210 days | [111] |
32 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1999 | 1 January 2015 | 16 years, 0 days | [112] |
33 | ![]() | ![]() | 14 July 1960 | 30 June 1976 | 15 years, 352 days | [80] |
34 | ![]() | ![]() Zulte Waregem [b] | 1 July 1994 | 9 June 2010 | 15 years, 343 days | [22] |
35 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1991 | 27 May 2007 | 15 years, 330 days | [80] |
36 | ![]() | ![]() | 11 October 1958 | 29 August 1974 | 15 years, 322 days | [113] [114] |
37 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 May 2009 | Present | 15 years, 286 days | [115] |
38 | ![]() | ![]() | 23 February 1946 | 14 October 1961 | 15 years, 233 days | [116] |
39 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 February 1951 | 24 September 1966 | 15 years, 219 days | [117] |
40 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 August 2009 | Present | 15 years, 210 days | [118] |
41 | ![]() | ![]() | 28 October 1939 | 29 January 1955 | 15 years, 93 days | [119] |
42 | ![]() | ![]() | 5 December 1983 | 18 January 1999 | 15 years, 44 days | [120] [121] |
43 | ![]() | ![]() | 21 March 2009 | 3 May 2024 | 15 years, 43 days | [122] |
44 | ![]() | ![]() | 20 April 1946 | 29 April 1961 | 15 years, 9 days | [123] |
45 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1985 | 30 June 2000 | 14 years, 365 days | [124] |
46 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1936 | 28 February 1951 | 14 years, 303 days | [125] |
47 | ![]() | ![]() | 16 August 1974 | 5 June 1989 | 14 years, 293 days | [80] |
48 | ![]() | ![]() | 14 December 1959 | 12 July 1974 | 14 years, 210 days | [126] |
49 | ![]() | ![]() | 2 April 1981 | 30 June 1995 | 14 years, 89 days | [127] |
50 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 May 1999 | 18 May 2013 | 14 years, 8 days | [127] [128] |
55 | ![]() | ![]() | 31 January 1948 | 4 November 1961 | 13 years, 277 days | [129] |
56 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 April 1960 | 15 January 1974 | 13 years, 273 days | [130] |
57 | ![]() | ![]() | 23 November 2011 | Present | 13 years, 77 days | |
Rank | Manager | National team | From | To | Length | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1988 | 30 July 2015 | 27 years, 210 days | [132] |
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 13 August 1939 | 15 June 1958 | 18 years, 306 days | [133] |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 December 1929 | 5 August 1948 | 18 years, 248 days | [19] [22] [134] |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1970 | 1 January 1988 | 18 years, 0 days | |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 5 October 1919 [c] | 17 February 1937 | 17 years, 135 days | [134] [135] |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 28 September 1946 | 21 November 1962 | 16 years, 54 days | [134] [136] |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 25 September 1985 | 10 June 2001 | 15 years, 258 days | [134] [137] |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | 7 March 2006 | 19 November 2021 | 15 years, 257 days | [138] |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | 26 March 1921 | 27 September 1936 | 15 years, 185 days | [139] |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 7 December 1930 | 19 May 1946 | 15 years, 163 days | [140] [d] |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 2000 | 17 November 2015 | 15 years, 139 days | [134] [141] |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | 15 March 1925 | 21 April 1940 | 15 years, 37 days | [134] [142] |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | 10 October 1998 | 15 October 2013 | 15 years, 5 days | [134] [143] |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | 12 July 2006 | 29 June 2021 | 14 years, 352 days | [144] |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | 2 February 2010 | Present | 15 years, 28 days | [145] |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 August 2010 | Present | 14 years, 210 days | [146] |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | 26 March 1980 | 17 November 1993 | 13 years, 236 days | [134] [147] |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | 4 November 1964 | 21 June 1978 | 13 years, 229 days | [134] [148] |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 November 1950 | 7 June 1964 | 13 years, 198 days | [134] [149] |
19 | ![]() | ![]() | 22 May 1976 | 8 June 1989 | 13 years, 17 days | [134] [150] |
20 | ![]() | ![]() | 8 July 2012 | Present | 12 years, 237 days | [151] |
21 | ![]() | ![]() | 19 June 1962 | 9 October 1974 | 12 years, 112 days | [152] |
22 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 February 1963 | 3 April 1974 | 11 years, 35 days | [153] |
23 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1970 | 31 May 1981 | 11 years, 30 days | [154] |
24 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 January 1922 | 1 January 1933 | 11 years, 0 days | [155] |
25 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 May 1999 | 1 February 2010 | 10 years, 276 days | [156] |
26 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 July 1979 | 1 April 1990 | 10 years, 274 days | [157] |
27 | ![]() | ![]() | 27 September 1975 | 17 June 1986 | 10 years, 263 days | [158] |
28 | ![]() | ![]() | 6 October 1951 | 9 May 1962 | 10 years, 215 days | [159] |
29 | ![]() | ![]() | 18 January 1920 | 25 May 1930 | 10 years, 127 days | [140] [d] |