# List of Bolton Wanderers F.C. managers

The following is a list of managers or head coaches of Bolton Wanderers Football Club and their major honours from the beginning of the club's official managerial records in 1885 to the present day. As of the 2024–25 season, Bolton Wanderers have had 29 full-time managers with one, Nat Lofthouse, being in charge on two occasions.
The most successful person to manage Bolton Wanderers, to date, is Charles Foweraker, who won three FA Cups in his 25-year reign as manager. He is also the club's longest-serving manager. Their current Head Coach is Steven Schumacher, having taken chare on 30 January 2025.

## Statistics

Information correct as of matches played up to 15 March 2025. Only competitive matches are counted.
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | Win% | Honours | Minor Honours (First Team only) |
| Tom Rawthorne | England | 1 August 1874 | 31 May 1885 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 046.15 | | |
| John Bentley | England | 1 August 1885 | 31 May 1886 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 033.33 | | 1 Lancashire Senior Cup: 1886 |
| William Struthers | Scotland | 1 August 1886 | 31 May 1887 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 066.67 | | |
| Fitzroy Norris | England | 1 August 1887 | 1 December 1887 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 000.00 | | |
| John Bentley | England | 1 December 1887 | 31 May 1895 | 200 | 89 | 25 | 86 | 044.50 | | 1 Lancashire Senior Cup: 1891 |
| Harry Downs | England | 1 August 1895 | 31 May 1896 | 35 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 054.29 | | |
| Frank Brettell | England | 1 August 1896 | 31 May 1898 | 68 | 26 | 13 | 29 | 038.24 | | |
| John Somerville | Scotland | 1 August 1898 | 1 January 1910 | 438 | 192 | 77 | 169 | 043.84 | Football League Second Division Champions 1908–09 | |
| Will Settle | England | 1 January 1910 | 31 May 1915 | 224 | 97 | 46 | 81 | 043.30 | | 1 Lancashire Senior Cup: 1912 |
| Tom Mather | England | 1 August 1915 | 31 May 1919 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— | | |
| Charles Foweraker | England | 1 July 1919 | 1 August 1944 | 912 | 373 | 231 | 308 | 040.90 | 3 FA Cups: 1923, 1926, 1929 | 6 Lancashire Senior Cups: 1922, 1925, 1927, 1932, 1934, 1939 (shared with Preston North End) |
| Walter Rowley | England | 1 August 1944 | 1 October 1950 | 197 | 64 | 44 | 89 | 032.49 | | 1 Football League War Cup: 1945; 1 Lancashire Senior Cup: 1948 |
| Bill Ridding | England | 1 October 1950 | 1 August 1968 | 767 | 290 | 184 | 293 | 037.81 | 1 FA Cup: 1958, 1 FA Charity Shield: 1958 | |
| Nat Lofthouse | England | 1 December 1968 | 1 November 1970 | 81 | 22 | 23 | 36 | 027.16 | | |
| Jimmy McIlroy | Northern Ireland | 1 November 1970 | 19 November 1970 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.00 | | |
| Jimmy Meadows | England | 13 January 1971 | 30 April 1971 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 006.25 | | |
| Nat Lofthouse | England | 1 May 1971 | 1 August 1971 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— | | |
| Jimmy Armfield | England | 1 August 1971 | 4 October 1974 | 180 | 80 | 47 | 53 | 044.44 | Football League Third Division Champions 1972–73 | |
| Ian Greaves | England | 7 October 1974 | 28 January 1980 | 230 | 90 | 66 | 74 | 039.13 | Football League Second Division Champions 1977–78 | |
| Stan Anderson | England | 28 January 1980 | 31 May 1981 | 62 | 18 | 17 | 27 | 029.03 | | |
| George Mulhall | Scotland | 1 June 1981 | 1 June 1982 | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 030.95 | | |
| John McGovern | Scotland | 1 June 1982 | 7 January 1985 | 118 | 37 | 26 | 55 | 031.36 | | |
| Charlie Wright | Scotland | 7 February 1985 | 6 December 1985 | 44 | 11 | 8 | 25 | 025.00 | | |
| Phil Neal | England | 18 December 1985 | 8 May 1992 | 351 | 132 | 103 | 116 | 037.61 | 1 Football League Trophy: 1989 | 2 Lancashire Senior Cups: 1989, 1991 |
| Bruce Rioch | Scotland | 29 May 1992 | 8 June 1995 | 172 | 83 | 42 | 47 | 048.26 | | |
| Roy McFarland | England | 20 June 1995 | 2 January 1996 | 28 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 017.86 | | |
| Colin Todd | England | 2 January 1996 | 22 September 1999 | 183 | 79 | 53 | 51 | 043.17 | Football League First Division Champions 1996–97 | |
| Sam Allardyce | England | 19 October 1999 | 29 April 2007 | 371 | 153 | 104 | 114 | 041.24 | | 1 FA Premier League Asia Trophy: 2005 |
| Sammy Lee | England | 30 April 2007 | 7 October 2007 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 021.43 | | |
| Gary Megson | England | 25 October 2007 | 30 December 2009 | 99 | 27 | 27 | 45 | 027.27 | | |
| Owen Coyle | Republic of Ireland | 8 January 2010 | 9 October 2012 | 126 | 42 | 24 | 60 | 033.33 | | |
| Dougie Freedman | Scotland | 23 October 2012 | 3 October 2014 | 101 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 033.66 | | |
| Neil Lennon | Northern Ireland | 12 October 2014 | 15 March 2016 | 80 | 18 | 26 | 36 | 022.50 | | |
| Phil Parkinson | England | 10 June 2016 | 21 August 2019 | 157 | 49 | 34 | 74 | 031.21 | | |
| Keith Hill | England | 31 August 2019 | 30 June 2020 | 33 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 018.18 | | |
| Ian Evatt | England | 1 July 2020 | 22 January 2025 | 261 | 130 | 58 | 73 | 049.81 | 1 EFL Trophy: 2023 | |
| Steven Schumacher | England | 30 January 2025 | | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 050.00 | | |