The following is a list ofOxford United Football Club managers from 1949, when the club turned professional, to the present day. During this time the club has had 25 full-time managers, of whom three (Jim Smith,Denis Smith andDarren Patterson) have had more than one spell in the post, and eleven periods ofcaretaker-management. The first manager appointed wasHarry Thompson in July 1949.[1] Thompson was in charge for nine years, during which he led the team to theSouthern League title in 1953, as well as theSouthern League Cup in 1953 and 1954. He was dismissed in November 1958 and replaced byArthur Turner. Turner, the longest-serving manager in the club's history with more than a decade in charge, led United to back-to-back Southern League titles, of which the second, in 1962, resulted in their election tothe Football League.[2]Promotion followed from theFourth Division in 1965, and the club were crownedThird Division champions three years later.[1] Turner left the club nine months after this success. Over the next 13 years, five managers took charge:Ron Saunders,Gerry Summers,Mick Brown,Bill Asprey andIan Greaves. During Brown's four-year run, United wererelegated back to the Third Division after eight years in the Second.[3]
Jim Smith started his first spell as manager in 1982, and led Oxford into thetop tier ofEnglish football after consecutive promotions as champions in 1984 and 1985. However, he moved toQueens Park Rangers before the1985–86 season, so never managed Oxford in the First Division.[4] New manager, formerchief scoutMaurice Evans, had immediate success winning the 1986League Cup, beating his predecessor's new club inthe final.[5] For the next 24 years, the only manager to guide the club to promotion orsilverware was Denis Smith, who won promotion from the Second Division in 1996.Ramón Díaz, the club's first non-British manager, took charge for five months between December 2004 and May 2005. Jim Smith returned as manager at the end of the 2005–06 season, shortly before Oxford United were relegated to theFootball Conference after 44 years in the Football League.
Having missed out on promotion in the2006–07 season, Smith resigned and manager Darren Patterson was hired in November 2007.[6] Patterson was sacked over a year later and was replaced byChris Wilder,[7] who won promotion back to the Football League by winning the2010 Conference play-off final.[8]
Wilder resigned in January 2014 and was announced as the new manager ofNorthampton Town the following day.[9] He was replaced byGary Waddock,[10] who lasted four months, before himself being replaced byMichael Appleton.[11] Appleton, having gained promotion to League One and led the club to two Wembley finals in theFootball League Trophy, left the club after three seasons in charge to joinLeicester City as their assistant manager.[12] He was replaced byPep Clotet, former assistant manager atLeeds United, in July 2017.[13] Clotet was sacked on 22 January 2018,[14] with a record of 12 wins from 36 matches in charge.[15] After two months under the caretaker management ofDerek Fazackerley,Karl Robinson was appointed by new owner Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth on 22 March[16] with United 15th in League One and only six points above the relegation zone.[17]
Robinson was sacked in February 2023 after a run of poor results left the club just five points above the relegation zone.[18] CoachesCraig Short, Leon Blackmore-Such and Wayne Brown were put in temporary charge and oversaw two matches beforeLiam Manning was appointed on 11 March 2023.[19] Manning left United on 7 November 2023 after just eight months and 29 games to joinBristol City.[20]
First team coachCraig Short once again took temporary charge of the side while the search for Manning's successor took place. Short oversaw just one league game, a 3-2 victory at Leyton Orient[21] and then on 16 November 2023 the club announced that former youth team goalkeeperDes Buckingham had been appointed as Head Coach.[22]
As an Oxford United supporter himself, who grew up in the city, Buckingham's appointment was hugely popular among supporters.[23] Buckingham's style and approach took a while to bed in, culminating in a 5-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers live on Sky Sports. He later cited this match as a turning point, after which he felt justified in making more significant changes to the side.[24] Results significantly improved and the team secured a place in the play-offs on the final day of the season. A 2-1 aggregate victory overPeterborough United set up a final at Wembley againstBolton Wanderers. Buckingham's side claimed a 2-0 victory on 18 May 2024, returning to the EFL Championship for the first time a quarter of a century.[25]
After a positive start to life in the second tier, results stagnated, and on 15 December 2024, Buckingham was sacked.[26] His side had never been in the relegation zone during his tenure, and supporters expressed their shock, sadness and anger at his dismissal.[27]
On 20 December 2024, the club announced it had appointedGary Rowett as Buckingham's replacement.[28]
Manager dates and statistics are sourced from Howland,Complete Record up to and including Lawrenson,[29] and from Soccerbase thereafter.[30]Results in competitions not recorded by Soccerbase are sourced from The English Football Archive.[31]Only professional, competitive matches are counted. Statistics are complete up to and including 17 September 2024.
P: Matches playedW: Matches wonD: Matches drawnL: Matches lost
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | Win % | Honours | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Thompson | English | 1 July 1949 | 6 November 1958 | 466 | 210 | 87 | 169 | 045.1 | Southern League champions:1952–53 Southern League runners-up:1953–54 Southern League Cup winners:1952–53,1953–54 | [1][32] |
| Committee of board members | 6 November 1958 | 1 January 1959 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 054.5 | [33] | ||
| Arthur Turner | English | 1 January 1959 | 28 February 1969 | 504 | 218 | 119 | 167 | 043.3 | Southern League runners-up:1959–60 Southern League champions:1960–61,1961–62 Fourth Division promotion:1964–65 Third Division champions:1967–68 | [1][34] |
| Ron Saunders | English | 1 March 1969 | 30 June 1969 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 050.0 | [35] | |
| Gerry Summers | English | 1 July 1969 | 1 October 1975 | 293 | 93 | 89 | 111 | 031.7 | [36] | |
| Mick Brown | English | 1 October 1975 | 22 July 1979 | 187 | 53 | 61 | 73 | 028.3 | [37] | |
| Bill Asprey | English | 22 July 1979 | 26 December 1980 | 82 | 23 | 20 | 39 | 028.0 | [38] | |
| Ian Greaves | English | 26 December 1980 | 30 January 1982 | 50 | 23 | 16 | 11 | 046.0 | [39] | |
| Roy Barry (caretaker) | Scottish | 3 February 1982 | 28 February 1982 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 033.3 | [40][41] | |
| Jim Smith | English | 1 March 1982 | 11 June 1985 | 167 | 89 | 42 | 36 | 053.3 | Third Division champions:1983–84 Second Division champions:1984–85 | [42][43] |
| Maurice Evans | English | 11 June 1985 | 26 March 1988 | 140 | 41 | 41 | 58 | 029.3 | League Cup winners:1986 | [5][44] |
| Mark Lawrenson | Irish | 26 March 1988 | 25 October 1988 | 23 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 017.4 | [45] | |
| Brian Horton | English | 25 October 1988 | 27 August 1993 | 251 | 79 | 65 | 107 | 031.5 | [46][47][48] | |
| Maurice Evans (caretaker) | English | 27 August 1993 | 10 September 1993 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000.0 | [49][50] | |
| Denis Smith | English | 10 September 1993 | 24 December 1997 | 247 | 99 | 60 | 88 | 040.1 | Second Division runners-up:1995–96 | [51][52] |
| Malcolm Crosby (caretaker) | English | 24 December 1997 | 24 January 1998 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 000.0 | [53][54] | |
| Malcolm Shotton | English | 24 January 1998 | 25 October 1999 | 88 | 26 | 22 | 40 | 029.5 | [55] | |
| Mickey Lewis (caretaker) | English | 25 October 1999 | 2 February 2000 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 027.3 | [56][57] | |
| Denis Smith | English | 3 February 2000 | 2 October 2000 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 19 | 026.7 | [58] | |
| Mike Ford (caretaker) | English | 3 October 2000 | 31 October 2000 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 000.0 | [59] | |
| David Kemp | English | 31 October 2000 | 30 April 2001 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 022.6 | [60] | |
| Mike Ford (caretaker) | English | 1 May 2001 | 8 May 2001 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.0 | [59] | |
| Mark Wright | English | 8 May 2001 | 22 November 2001 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 018.2 | [61] | |
| Ian Atkins | English | 23 November 2001 | 21 March 2004 | 122 | 47 | 35 | 40 | 038.5 | [62] | |
| Graham Rix | English | 22 March 2004 | 14 November 2004 | 29 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 020.7 | [63] | |
| Darren Patterson (caretaker) | Northern Irish | 14 November 2004 | 9 December 2004 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 033.3 | [64] | |
| Ramón Díaz | Argentine | 9 December 2004 | 4 May 2005 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 040.0 | [65] | |
| David Oldfield (caretaker) | English | 7 May 2005 | 7 May 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.0 | [66] | |
| Brian Talbot | English | 6 May 2005 | 14 March 2006 | 44 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 022.7 | [67] | |
| Darren Patterson | Northern Irish | 14 March 2006 | 22 March 2006 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 033.3 | [64] | |
| Jim Smith | English | 22 March 2006 | 9 November 2007 | 82 | 34 | 26 | 22 | 041.5 | [42] | |
| Darren Patterson | Northern Irish | 9 November 2007 | 30 November 2008 | 59 | 24 | 11 | 24 | 040.7 | [64] | |
| Jim Smith (caretaker) | English | 30 November 2008 | 21 December 2008 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 050.0 | [42] | |
| Chris Wilder | English | 21 December 2008 | 26 January 2014 | 269 | 121 | 70 | 78 | 045.0 | Conference Premier play-off winners:2009–10 | [68] |
| Mickey Lewis (caretaker) | English | 26 January 2014 | 22 March 2014 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 025.0 | [69] | |
| Gary Waddock | Irish | 22 March 2014 | 4 July 2014 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 012.5 | [70] | |
| Michael Appleton | English | 4 July 2014 | 20 June 2017 | 173 | 78 | 46 | 49 | 045.1 | League Two runners-up:2015–16 Football League Trophy runners-up:2015–16,2016–17 | [71] |
| Pep Clotet | Spanish | 1 July 2017 | 22 January 2018 | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 033.3 | [72] | |
| Derek Fazackerley (caretaker) | English | 22 January 2018 | 22 March 2018 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 025.0 | [73] | |
| Karl Robinson | English | 22 March 2018 | 26 February 2023 | 274 | 110 | 70 | 94 | 040.1 | 2020 EFL League One play-off runners-up | [74] |
| Craig Short (caretaker) | English | 26 February 2023 | 1 March 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.0 | [75] | |
| Liam Manning | English | 12 March 2023 | 7 November 2023 | 29 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 048.3 | [76] | |
| Craig Short (caretaker) | English | 7 November 2023 | 16 November 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 | [75] | |
| Des Buckingham | English | 16 November 2023 | 15 December 2024 | 59 | 20 | 16 | 23 | 033.9 | 2024 EFL League One play-off winners | [77] |
| Craig Short (caretaker) | English | 20 December 2024 | 21 December 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.0 | [75] | |
| Gary Rowett | English | 22 December 2024 | - | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 057.1 | [78] |
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