Nottingham Forest name Sean Dyche as new head coach following Postecoglou’s exit
By The Guardian, October 21, 2025Nottingham Forest have appointed Sean Dyche as their third head coach of a tumultuous season. The former Everton and Burnley manager will hope to stabilise the club after the winless 40-day reign of Ange Postecoglou and, before that, the dismissal of Nuno Espírito Santo.
The Fulham manager, Marco Silva, and the former Manchester City head coach Roberto Mancini were also considered, but Forest opted for the experience of Dyche. He has signed a contract through 2027.
Dyche has been out of work since being sacked in January by Everton, where he was in charge for two years, and will be in the dugout for the visit of Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.
Dyche’s staff will include two former Forest players, Ian Woan and Steve Stone, who have worked under him in the past.
Forest’s statement said: “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 organisation, 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.”
Evangelos Marinakis was interested in appointing Silva, whom he had worked with at Olympiakos, but a deal to bring him from Fulham mid-season was deemed too difficult.
In the background, the global head of football, Edu Gaspar, and technical director, George Syrianos, had been carrying out due diligence on potential candidates, with Dyche and Mancini regarded as the most compatible with the squad.
Forest were eager to hire someone with a record of producing strong defences, and Dyche’s work at Burnley and Everton was regarded as key.
Forest’s hierarchy has been impressed with the clarity of messaging provided by Dyche and his staff during conversations in the hiring process. He gained a further advantage over Mancini by having worked in the Premier League more recently.
The Italian’s only management role in England was at Manchester City, which he left in 2013, and he has not worked for a club since Zenit St Petersburg in 2018.
Dyche takes over a side 18th in the Premier League with five points from eight games after they lost 3-0 to Chelsea on Saturday in Postecoglou’s final match. Forest’s chaotic season follows Nuno leading them back into Europe with a seventh-placed finish last term.