Sean Dyche named Nottingham Forest head coach on deal until summer 2027

Nottingham Forest have appointed Sean Dyche as their new head coach on a deal until summer 2027.

The 54-year-old was taken over at the City Ground following Ange Postecoglou’s sacking on Saturday.

Dyche, who lives in Nottingham and was a trainee at the club, becomes the third first-team boss of the season and will be joined in the dugout by former Forest heroes Ian Woan and Steve Stone.

Dyche had been out of work since leaving Everton at the start of the year.

Forest says that the former Burnley manager has “the perfect blend of character, tactical acumen and proven achievement.”

A club statement read: “A respected and experienced Premier League manager, Dyche brings the perfect blend of character, tactical acumen and proven achievement to guide the club through its next chapter.

“Having managed more than 330 Premier League matches in his career to date, Dyche has built teams defined by defensive organization, resilience, and strength from set pieces – qualities that align closely with the current squad’s attributes and the club’s footballing identity.

“As a former Forest youth player who lives locally, Dyche also has a deep understanding of the values ​​and pride of Forest and its supporters.

“With his character, tactical acumen and manmanagement skills, his appointment represents the best opportunity for a successful and competitive season across both domestic and European competitions.”

Forest were also considering former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini and are known admirers of Fulham’s Marco Silva, but the prospect of getting the Portuguese out of Craven Cottage mid-season was deemed too challenging.

The recruitment process, led by global head of football, Edu Gaspar, landed on Dyche and his first game in charge will be Thursday’s Europa League tie with Porto at the City Ground.

Postecoglou was sacked just minutes after Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Chelsea, making him the shortest-serving permanent manager in Premier League history.

The Australian was in the post for only 39 days, but impatient owner Evangelos Marinakis pulled the trigger after no wins from his opening eight games.

Postecoglou, who had only just found a flat in the city before his dismissal, was appointed following the exit of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno was fired in the September international break following a breakdown of relationship with Marinakis and Edu.

The Portuguese had signed a new contract at the City Ground just three months earlier, having delivered European football to Forest for the first time in 20 years.

But Forest’s season has been plunged into disarray following the boardroom fallout, with the decision to bring Postecoglou to the club backfiring.

Forest are in the relegation zone of the Premier League with just five points after eight games, but Dyche inherits a squad that had over £100million of investment in the summer.

Billy Mercer, who worked with Dyche at Burnley and Everton, was also named as the goalkeeping coach.