Swindon Town boss to Strasbourg coach - Where Blackpool's last 13 managers are now

Blackpool have been through their fair share of managers in the last 15 years.

From play-off winners to complete disasters - it’s certainly been a mixed bag.

Current boss Ian Evatt knows what it means to be successful in Tangerine, having won two promotions at Bloomfield Road during his playing days.

Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, the 44-year-old will be looking to replicate that from the dugout, with the focus very much on getting out of League One at the fourth time of asking.

A number of current coach’s predecessors remain in the game - including some in the EFL and others much further from home.

Here’s where the Seasiders’ last 13 managers are now:

Steve Bruce

Since departing Blackpool back in October following a slow start to last season, Steve Bruce hasn’t taken on any new managerial roles.

Instead, the experienced football figure has regularly appeared on national radio, with his time at Bloomfield Road currently looking like his final stint in the dugout.

Neil Critchley

After being sacked by Blackpool just two league games into the 2024/25 campaign, Neil Critchley swiftly returned to work with Hearts in the SPL.

Things ultimately didn’t work out for the 47-year-old with the Edinburgh outfit, with his time at Tynecastle Park coming to an end last April.

Critchley spent several months away from coaching after that, up until a move to Strasbourg earlier this year to join Gary O’Neil’s backroom staff.

Mick McCarthy

Experienced manager Mick McCarthy was appointed as Blackpool boss in January 2023, but didn’t last long, with the 66-year-old unable to change the Seasiders’ fortunes for the better in the face of Championship relegation.

The former Wolves and Ipswich coach hasn’t been involved in the game since, but has become the focus of a film, Saipan, in which he’s portrayed by Steve Coogan.

The movie focuses on McCarthy’s falling out with Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane in the lead up to the 2002 World Cup.

Michael Appleton

Michael Appleton returned for a second stint at Bloomfield Road in the summer of 2022, after previously departing the club after a matter of months in his first spell.

On this occasion, it was the club’s decision to part ways, with McCarthy coming in as his replacement.

Since leaving the Fylde Coast, the former Manchester United academy player has endured unsuccessful stints with Charlton Athletic and Shrewsbury Town.

The 50-year-old departed the latter back in January after Salop found themselves towards the bottom of League Two following their relegation from the third tier last season.

Simon Grayson

Simon Grayson’s second spell as Seasiders head coach came to an end in 2020 - just before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following his exit, he made the short move to Fleetwood Town, before embracing a complete change of scenery.

Between 2022 and 2023, he took charge of Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC, winning the Durand Cup in his first year, before making the move to Nepal to join Lalitpur City in 2025.

Following a stint in charge of Hartlepool United last year, Grayson took on the role assistant coach for Indonesia.

Terry McPhillips

Terry McPhillips was at the helm at Bloomfield Road between 2018 and 2019.

Since departing the Fylde Coast, he’s worked under Robbie Fowler at East Bengal, coached at Southport in National League North, and acted as Forest Green Rovers’ chief scout.

The 56-year-old has been at Oldham Athletic since last year as head of recruitment.

Gary Bowyer

Despite being at the club in difficult circumstances, Gary Bowyer guided Blackpool to League Two play-off success during his time on the Fylde Coast.

After departing the Seasiders in 2018, the 53-year-old managed Bradford City, Salford City and Dundee, before a period away from coaching.

Towards the end of 2024, he returned to the dugout with Burton Albion, where he has enjoyed success in keeping them in League One two seasons in a row.

Neil McDonald

Neil McDonald has held a number of roles since his time with Blackpool.

The 59-year-old has worked as an assistant at several EFL clubs, as well as spending time in Ireland with Limerick and India - with both Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

McDonald has since worked under Phil Brown at Kidderminster, Simon Grayson at Hartlepool, and acted as Barrow caretaker coach.

Lee Clark

Clark’s time on the Fylde Coast came back in the 2014/15 campaign, and proved to be unsuccessful for both parties.

In 32 games under the ex-Newcastle United midfielder, Blackpool managed just three victories, leaving him with a nine percent win rate.

Despite not managing in the EFL since a stint with Bury in 2017, the 53-year-old was named as Rotherham United’s interim head coach back, but was unable to keep the Millers in League One.

He’s since taken at Hartlepool United in the National League ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Jose Riga

Rose Riga had a short-lived spell with the Seasiders back in 2014, with his only other EFL role coming with Charlton Athletic two years later.

The 67-year-old has held a number of other coaching roles in a range of other countries, and was recently the assistant for Belgium’s U21s side.

Barry Ferguson

In recent times, the likes of David Dunn, Stephen Dobbie and Richard Keogh have all taken interim charge of Blackpool.

Barry Ferguson’s time as caretaker coach lasted significantly longer, as the ex-Birmingham and Blackburn Rovers midfielder took on his first role in the dugout.

Since then, he’s held a number of roles in Scotland, but his biggest came last year, taking over as Rangers boss on an interim basis having progressed through the club’s youth system before spending the majority of his playing career at Ibrox.

Paul Ince

Following his Seasiders sacking in 2014 after a less than 12 months with the club, it took Paul Ince a while to find his next managerial job.

The 57-year-old took over at Reading in 2022, initially on an interim basis, before parting ways with the Royals the following year.

Ian Holloway

Ian Holloway achieved legendary status on the Fylde Coast by guiding Blackpool to the Premier League.

In the years after his Seasiders exit, the 62-year-old took charge of Crystal Palace, Millwall, QPR and Grimsby Town, before taking time away from the dugout.

He returned to management in 2024 with Swindon Town, and remains with the Robins in League Two.