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.Fred Everiss, League Managers Association 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.
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. Managers such as Pep Guardiola and Béla Guttmann have been proponents of a "three-year rule", 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.
Longest reigns 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.managers.htm Football Managers: 1880-1918, Spartacus EducationalEverton's Managers' Records Background, Everton Results 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 directorAitor Elizegi Announces That Rafael Alkorta Will Serve As His Sporting Director, Inside Athletic, 24 December 2018Paris Saint-Germain appoints Leonardo as Sporting Director, Paris Saint-Germain FC, 14 June 2019 or director of footballArsène Wenger begins the battle for power at Arsenal, David Hytner, The Guardian, 9 May 2017What is a director of football & how does transfer chief role work?, Goal.com, 13 September 2019 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.What is a sporting director? All you need to know about the men who shape the destiny of Bundesliga clubs, Bundesliga, 2018A Catalyst: The Role Of The Sporting Director – FC Business, FCBusinessFootball sporting director role not fully understood, Dr Dan Parnell, Manchester Metropolitan University, 15 February 2019Understanding the role of Sporting Director, Jobs in Football, 19 June 2020 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.
Clubs Pre-1946
+Rank Manager Club From To LengthReference1 Fred Everiss West Bromwich AlbionAlbion to honour Everiss family, West Bromwich Albion FC, 17 April 20192 Willie Maley Celtic (Celtic manager) Maley, Willie, FitbaStats3 George Ramsay Aston VillaGeorge Ramsay, League Managers AssociationEx Aston Villa boss George Ramsay ranked one of English football's greatest managers, Birmingham Mail, 22 March 2014George Ramsay – The World’s First Football Manager, Scottish Football Museum, 19 October 20184 Jack Addenbrooke Wolverhampton WanderersJack Addenbrooke, League Managers AssociationOld Gold Wolves' greatest managers, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, 30 June 20205 John Hunter MotherwellJohn ‘Sailor’ Hunter, MotherWELLnet6 Frank Watt Newcastle UnitedFrank Watt, League Managers Association7 Bill Struth Rangers(Rangers manager) Struth, Bill, FitbaStats8 John Nicholson Sheffield UnitedJohn Nicholson, League Managers Association9 Sam Allen Swindon TownSam Allen, League Managers Association10 Syd King West Ham UnitedSyd King, League Managers Association11 Arthur Dickinson Sheffield WednesdayArthur Dickinson, League Managers Association12 Bob Jack Plymouth ArgyleBob Jack, League Managers Association13 David Calderhead ChelseaDavid Calderhead (Snr), League Managers Association14 Bob Cochrane Greenock Morton(Morton manager) Cochrane, Bob, FitbaStats15 George Easton Partick Thistle(Partick Thistle manager) Easton, George, FitbaStatsPartick Thistle's Loss George Easton's Great Work For His Club, The Weekly News, 6 April 1929, via Partick Thistle History Archive16 Johnny Madden Slavia PragueMadden, Johnny, The Celtic Wiki17 Charles Foweraker Bolton WanderersCharles Foweraker, League Managers Association18 Jimmy Seed Charlton Athletic19 Bob Masters Nottingham ForestBob Masters, League Managers Association20 Bob Kyle SunderlandRobert Kyle, TheStatCat21 Harry Curtis BrentfordHarry Curtis, League Managers Association22 Alfred Jones Birmingham CityAlfred Jones, League Managers Association23 Joe Smith BlackpoolJoe Smith, League Managers Association24 Fred Stewart Cardiff CityFred Stewart, League Managers Association25 Willie Nicol Falkirk(Falkirk manager) Nicol, William, FitbaStatsWillie Nicol (Daddy), Better Meddle26 William Wilton Rangers(Rangers manager) Wilton, William, FitbaStats27 Willie McAndrew Hamilton Academical(Hamilton Accies manager) McAndrew, Willie, FitbaStats28 Teddy Davison Sheffield UnitedTed Davison, League Managers Association29 Jimmy Philip Aberdeen(Aberdeen manager) Philip, Jimmy, FitbaStatsManagers Jimmy Philip, AFC Heritage Trust30 Bob McGlashan Arbroath31 Tom Watson Liverpool32 Edmund Goodman Crystal PalaceEddie Goodman, League Managers Association33 Paddy Travers Clyde(Clyde manager) Travers, Pat, FitbaStats34 Hugh Spence Kilmarnock(Kilmarnock manager) Spence, Hugh, FitbaStats35 Bill Murray SunderlandBill Murray, League Managers Association36 Charlie Paynter West Ham UnitedCharlie Paynter, League Managers Association37 Donald Turner Partick Thistle(Partick Thistle manager) Turner, Donald, FitbaStats38 Cosme Damião Benfica39 Sandy Paterson Cowdenbeath(Cowdenbeath manager) Paterson, Sandy, FitbaStats40 Dave Halliday Aberdeen(Aberdeen manager) Halliday, Dave, FitbaStatsManagers | Dave Halliday, AFC Heritage Trust41 Will Cuff EvertonWilliam Cuff, League Managers Association42 Frank Buckley Wolverhampton WanderersFrank Buckley, League Managers Association43 Jimmy Methven Derby CountyJimmy Methven, League Managers Association44 Thomas H. McIntosh EvertonTom McIntosh, League Managers Association45 Harry Kent WatfordHarry Kent, League Managers Association46 George Jobey Derby CountyGeorge Jobey, League Managers Association47 Peter O'Rourke Bradford CityPeter O'Rourke, League Managers Association48 Willie McCartney Heart of Midlothian(Heart of Midlothian manager) McCartney, Willie, FitbaStats49 Jimmy Davies Greenock Morton(Morton manager) Davies, Jimmy, FitbaStats50 Elisha Scott Belfast Celtic51 Tully Craig Falkirk(Falkirk manager) Craig, Tommy, FitbaStatsTom Craig (Tully), Better Meddle52 George Kay LiverpoolGeorge Kay, League Managers Association53 Dionys Schönecker Rapid Wien54 Wilf Wild Manchester CityWilf Wild, League Managers Association55 John Haworth BurnleyJohn Haworth, League Managers Association56 Dan McMichael Hibernian(Hibernian manager) McMichael, Dan, FitbaStats57 Peter McWilliam Tottenham HotspurPeter McWilliam, League Managers Association
Post-1946
+Rank Manager Club From To LengthReference1 Luigi Fresco Virtus Verona2 Giorgos Kyrgias Diogenis LarissaPresent3 Guy Roux Auxerre4 Roly Howard Marine5 Jomo Sono Jomo CosmosPresent6 Philippe Clément Dives-Cabourg7 Ronnie McFall Portadown8 Marc White Dorking WanderersPresent9 Alex Ferguson Manchester United10 Neil Cugley Folkestone Invicta11 Martin Ryman South LiverpoolPresent12 Michel Le Millinaire Laval13 Dave Diaper Sholing14 Dario Gradi Crewe Alexandra15 Mickey Evans Caersws16 Matt Busby Manchester United17 Gordon Bartlett Wealdstone18 Stuart Charles-Fevrier W ConnectionPresent19 Arsène Wenger Arsenal20 Jim McLean Dundee United(Dundee United manager) McLean Jim, FitbaStats21 Bruno Luzi Chambly22 Silviu Ploeșteanu FC Brașov 23 Jimmy McGrory Celtic(Celtic manager) McGrory, James, FitbaStatsMcGrory, Jimmy | Manager 1945 - 1965, The Celtic Wiki24 Stephen Baxter Crusaders25 Frank Schmidt 1. FC HeidenheimPresent26 Brian Clough Nottingham Forest27 Ted Bates Southampton28 Gurban Gurbanov QarabağPresent29 Eddie Hunter Queen's Park(Queen's Park manager) Hunter, Eddie, FitbaStats30 David Jeffrey Linfield31 Simon Weaver Harrogate TownPresent32 Bert Henderson Arbroath(Arbroath manager) Henderson, Albert, FitbaStats33 Michael Anhaeuser Charleston Battery34 Vegard Hansen Mjøndalen35 Bill Ridding Bolton WanderersBill Ridding, League Managers Association36 Tony Waddington Stoke City37 Eric Taylor Sheffield WednesdayEric Taylor, League Managers Association — Antonio Toledo Sporting de HuelvaToledo dimite como técnico tras 15 años por miedo al COVID-19, As.com38 Stan Cullis Wolverhampton WanderersStan Cullis, League Managers Association39 Iurii Hodîchin Dinamo Bender40 José Arribas Nantes41 Francky Dury Zultse VV /Zulte Waregem42 Volker Finke SC Freiburg43 Bill Nicholson Tottenham Hotspur44 Peter Vermes Sporting Kansas City45 Bert Herdman Raith Rovers(Raith Rovers manager) Herdman, Bert, FitbaStats46 Tommy Walker Heart of Midlothian(Heart of Midlothian manager) Walker, Tommy, FitbaStats47 John Rudge Port Vale48 Pablo Vicó Club Atlético Brown49 Jimmy McKinnell Jr. Queen of the South(Queen of the South manager) McKinnell Jr, Jimmy, FitbaStats50 Eugène Gerards OFI, besoccer.com51 John Lyall West Ham United52 Diego Simeone Atlético MadridPresent53 Bill Shankly Liverpool54 Jason Ainsley Spennymoor Town55 Roy Coyle Linfield56 Otto Rehhagel Werder Bremen57 Douglas Samuel The SpartansPresent58 Thomas Schaaf Werder Bremen59 Hugh Shaw Hibernian(Hibernian manager) Shaw, Hugh, FitbaStats60 Miguel Muñoz Real MadridMiguel Muñoz, BDFutbol61 Graham Turner Hereford United
National teams