FC Krylia Sovetov Samara
On 1 June 2017, he left FC Yenisey Krasnoyarsk to join FC Krylia Sovetov Samara as a manager. He returned FC Krylia Sovetov Samara back to the Russian Premier League at the end of the 2017–18 season. After 9 games in the 2018–19 season, with Krylia in the 15th place, Tikhonov was dismissed from Krylia Sovetov.