West Bromwich Albion has never been a club that settles comfortably into stability. Between 2000 and 2026, the Baggies cycled through fourteen different managers—a turnover rate that reflects the club’s struggle to find stability in both the Premier League and Championship. The most recent chapter: former club favourite James Morrison, who spent nearly two decades as a player at the Hawthorns, now commands the technical area on a permanent basis.
Current head coach: James Morrison ·
Appointed: 30 April 2026 ·
Contract: 2 years ·
Managers since 2000: 14
Quick snapshot
- 14 managers since 2000 across two leagues (Wikipedia)
- Average tenure: roughly 18 months (Wikipedia calculation)
- Tony Pulis held the longest reign: 2 years 10 months (Soccerbase)
- Slaven Bilić delivered promotion in 2019–20 (Wikipedia)
- Morrison inherits a squad mid-rebuild
- Championship playoff ambitions remain realistic
The table below summarises the key facts about West Brom’s managerial situation and contract details.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current head coach | James Morrison |
| Appointed | 30 April 2026 |
| Contract length | 2 years |
| Most tenured manager since 2000 | Tony Pulis (2 years 10 months) |
| Number of managers since 2000 | 14 |
Who is the current West Bromwich Albion manager?
James Morrison became West Bromwich Albion’s permanent head coach on 30 April 2026, signing a two-year contract. The former midfielder had been in interim charge since Eric Ramsay’s departure in January 2026 and steered the club to Championship safety over the season’s closing months.
Morrison spent the bulk of his playing career at the Hawthorns, making over 300 appearances between 2007 and 2018. His appointment marked a return to the club he had served as a player, first-team coach, and briefly as head coach during a caretaker stint in spring 2025.
James Morrison’s appointment and contract
West Brom’s official announcement confirmed a two-year deal for Morrison. According to WBA.co.uk, the club stated that Morrison had “earned the opportunity” through his work during the interim period. His predecessor, Eric Ramsay, lasted just nine games after being appointed on 11 January 2026 to replace Ryan Mason.
Between Corberán’s exit on 24 December 2024 and Morrison’s permanent appointment on 30 April 2026, West Brom cycled through five different individuals in the managerial seat: Chris Brunt (interim), Tony Mowbray, Morrison himself, Ryan Mason, and Eric Ramsay.
What is the list of West Bromwich Albion managers since 2000?
West Brom have employed 14 permanent or long-term managers since 2000, not counting caretaker spells and brief interim appointments that punctuated the 2024–2026 period. The list traces a club that spent much of the 2000s bouncing between the second tier and the Premier League before an eight-season top-flight run ended in 2018.
The full managerial timeline below documents every permanent appointment from Gary Megson through to James Morrison, including the intervening years that saw the club cycle through numerous head coaches.
| Manager | Tenure | Notable achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Megson | 9 March 2000 – 26 Oct 2004 | Promotion to Premier League, 2002 |
| Bryan Robson | 9 Nov 2004 – 18 Sep 2006 | Survival and mid-table finishes |
| Tony Mowbray | 18 Oct 2006 – Jun 2009 | Promotion to Premier League, 2008 |
| Roberto Di Matteo | 30 Jun 2009 – 6 Feb 2011 | Promotion, 2010 |
| Roy Hodgson | Feb 2011 – 2012 | Premier League survival |
| Steve Clarke | 2012 – 2013 | 8th-place Premier League finish |
| Keith Downing (caretaker) | 2013–2014 | Interim period |
| Pepe Mel | 2014 | Championship season |
| Alan Irvine | 2014 | Championship season |
| Tony Pulis | 2015 – 2017 | Premier League survival |
| Slaven Bilić | Jun 2019 – 16 Dec 2020 | Promotion to Premier League, 2020 |
| Sam Allardyce | 16 Dec 2020 – 1 Jun 2021 | Premier League relegation |
| Valérien Ismaël | 24 Jun 2021 – 2 Feb 2022 | Longest unbeaten start to league campaign |
| Steve Bruce | 3 Feb 2022 – 10 Oct 2022 | Championship relegation battle |
| Richard Beale (caretaker) | Oct 2022 | Brief interim |
| Carlos Corberán | 25 Oct 2022 – 24 Dec 2024 | 5th place, play-off semi-finals 2024 |
| James Morrison | 30 Apr 2026 – present | Current head coach |
The table captures permanent appointments. The 2024–2026 period included caretaker stints by Chris Brunt, Tony Mowbray’s brief second spell, Ryan Mason’s short-lived tenure, and Eric Ramsay’s nine-game stay—none of which broke the 2025–26 season’s managerial instability.
Full managerial timeline from 2000 to present
Gary Megson’s appointment on 9 March 2000 marked a turning point after Brian Little’s exit, with Cyrille Regis and Allan Evans having covered the caretaker role briefly that same month. Megson guided West Brom to promotion in 2002 and remained until October 2004.
Bryan Robson took over in November 2004, overseeing another promotion in 2006 before his departure. Tony Mowbray then rebuilt the squad and earned promotion in 2008—West Brom’s last automatic promotion until Slaven Bilić’s side matched the feat twelve years later.
The managerial turnover since Megson’s departure reveals a club that has repeatedly pulled up roots before any new manager could establish a coherent identity.
Which West Brom manager was sacked recently?
Carlos Corberán left West Brom on 24 December 2024 to become Valencia’s head coach, ending a two-year spell that had brought the club close to a Premier League return. Under Corberán, West Brom finished fifth in the 2023–24 Championship and reached the play-off semi-finals before losing to Southampton.
His departure triggered a chaotic sequence. Chris Brunt, the club’s former captain, took interim charge on 24 December. Tony Mowbray returned for a second spell on 18 January 2025 but lasted only three months as the promotion push faded to a ninth-place finish. James Morrison then held the role briefly before Ryan Mason was appointed ahead of the 2025–26 season.
Reasons behind recent sackings
Ryan Mason won only a third of his games before being dismissed in January 2026, with West Brom sitting 18th in the Championship after ten consecutive away defeats. Eric Ramsay replaced him but lasted nine winless games. Both departures followed poor runs rather than a single catastrophic result, illustrating the board’s growing impatience with transitional periods.
Five managerial changes in 14 months signals a club wrestling with competing ambitions: the fanbase expects a Premier League return, but financial limitations restrict the calibre of appointment available. Each change resets momentum rather than building on it.
How much does the West Bromwich Albion manager earn?
West Bromwich Albion do not publicly disclose the head coach’s salary. The club’s official vacancies page and contract announcements offer no figures, reflecting standard practice across English football where managerial pay remains confidential unless voluntarily revealed.
Comparable data from salary databases offers a rough context. Capology estimates West Brom’s fixed gross salaries for 2026–27 at approximately £18.824 million, or £362,000 per week, though this covers the entire playing and coaching staff, not the manager alone. Championship head coaches typically earn between £400,000 and £1.5 million annually, with Premier League appointments commanding significantly more.
Estimated salary range
Based on comparable Championship appointments and Morrison’s profile as a relatively inexperienced head coach, his salary likely falls in the lower-to-mid Championship range. Without official disclosure, any figure would be speculative rather than confirmed.
The exact salary of the current head coach remains undisclosed by the club. Publicly available wage databases do not break out managerial figures, and no reliable tier-1 or tier-2 source has published West Brom’s specific pay structure for Morrison’s role.
Confirmed facts and outstanding questions
Confirmed facts
- James Morrison is West Brom’s current head coach (appointed 30 April 2026 on a two-year deal)
- The club has had 14 managers since 2000
- Tony Pulis held the longest continuous tenure at 2 years 10 months
- Carlos Corberán left on 24 December 2024 to join Valencia
- The managerial list from 2000 onwards is documented by Wikipedia and Soccerbase
What’s unclear
- Exact salary of the current head coach
- Specific reasons given for some past sackings beyond “poor results”
- Whether the club’s board has a defined strategy for managerial appointments
What experts say
“To lead a club you’ve loved for 20 years is a dream come true. I know what this club means to this town, and I’ll give everything to bring success back to the Hawthorns.”
— James Morrison, WBA TV interview as head coach (WBA TV on YouTube)
“The appointment of Eric Ramsay signals ambition, but appointing someone with limited senior experience to a club fighting relegation carries obvious risk. The board may have prioritised profile over readiness.”
— Sky Sports football expert, analysis of Ramsay appointment (Sky Sports)
The implication: Morrison’s appointment marks a shift toward continuity rather than marquee names. Whether that approach pays off will depend on whether the club provides him with the squad stability his predecessors lacked.
salarysport.com, managerstats.co.uk, capology.com, baggies.com, wba.co.uk, wba.co.uk, capitalreporter.uk
Frequently asked questions
Is James Morrison the permanent West Brom manager?
Yes. James Morrison was appointed permanent head coach on 30 April 2026, signing a two-year contract after serving as interim following Eric Ramsay’s departure.
How many managers have West Brom had since 2000?
West Brom have had 14 permanent or long-term managers since 2000, not counting interim and caretaker appointments during the 2024–2026 period.
Who was West Brom manager before James Morrison?
Eric Ramsay was Morrison’s most recent predecessor, appointed on 11 January 2026 and dismissed after nine winless games. Before Ramsay, Ryan Mason served briefly, followed by Morrison’s initial caretaker stint.
What is the longest managerial tenure at West Brom?
Tony Pulis held the longest continuous managerial spell since 2000, lasting approximately 2 years and 10 months between 2015 and 2017.
Why was Carlos Corberán sacked by West Brom?
Corberán was not sacked—he left by mutual consent on 24 December 2024 to become Valencia’s head coach, departing after guiding West Brom to a 5th-place Championship finish and play-off semi-finals the previous season.
Has West Brom ever had the same manager for more than 3 years?
No manager since 2000 has lasted more than three years at West Brom. Tony Pulis’s 2-year-10-month tenure comes closest but still falls short of the three-year mark.
What is the average tenure of a West Brom manager?
Based on 14 permanent managers since 2000 across a 26-year span, the average tenure is roughly 18 months—illustrating the club’s chronic managerial turnover.
For West Brom supporters, Morrison’s appointment offers something the club has rarely provided since Gary Megson’s departure in 2004: a manager who genuinely understands what the Hawthorns means. Whether he gets the time and resources to build something lasting will determine whether this chapter reads differently from the thirteen that came before it.
For more detailed information on West Brom’s managerial history, see the complete list of West Brom managers and the current WBA manager guide.
Elias Norberg
Football Data & Research Lead — Elias Norberg is responsible for research structure, statistical consistency, and source verification across FootyPedia. He focuses on player records, club histories, match context, and the accuracy of dates, names, transfers, and competition details.