Lancashire | Blackburn Rovers appoint Tony Mowbray as their new head coach

An icon of the EFL returns to football

Blackburn Rovers have appointed Tony Mowbray as head coach for a second spell in charge at Ewood Park.

Author | Josh T

Mowbray, 62, previously spent more than five years at Blackburn between 2017 and 2022.

He succeeds Michael O'Neill, who opted not to take the role on a permanent basis after overseeing the club on an interim basis during the second half of last season.

Mowbray brings more than two decades of managerial experience and has since gone on to lead Sunderland, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion following his departure from Blackburn.

When he first arrived at Ewood Park in February 2017, he was unable to prevent relegation to League One. However, he guided Rovers straight back to the Championship in his first full season at the helm.

After re-establishing the club in the second tier, Mowbray left at the end of the 2021-22 campaign and was succeeded by Jon Dahl Tomasson.

He returns to a club that endured a difficult and turbulent 2025-26 season.

Blackburn spent much of the campaign battling near the foot of the table and dismissed Valérien Ismaël in February before turning to Northern Ireland manager O'Neill.

O'Neill steered the club to safety, with Rovers finishing 20th in the Championship, five points clear of the relegation zone.

In a statement, Blackburn said Mowbray would "lead a new chapter for the club" and praised his "wealth of experience, strong footballing principles and a clear understanding of the club's identity and ambitions".

Mowbray stepped away from management while at Birmingham in early 2024 following a health scare and later revealed he had been receiving treatment for bowel cancer.

He returned to management with West Brom in January 2025, though his tenure lasted only three months before he was dismissed.