Tony Collins became the first black manager in English football history when he took the reins of Rochdale in 1960 and he made more history when he led them to the 1962 League Cup final - to this day their only major final appearance.
Since then, however, over half a century later, it is quite remarkable that black managers remain a rarity in English football, including the Premier League, particularly when one considers the number of black professional footballers that play the game at the highest level.
The number of black managers that have coached Premier League clubs is low - just about breaching double figures. So what is the actual number and who are they?
As of the 2023-24 campaign, there have been a total of just 11 black managers in the history of the Premier League.
Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit was the first black manager in the Premier League, having taken over as player-manager of Chelsea in 1996. Gullit repeated Tony Collins' feat at Rochdale by guiding Chelsea to a major cup final - the FA Cup final - in 1997, but he went one better by winning.
Gullit, who enjoyed a supremely successful playing career with the likes of AC Milan, PSV and the Netherlands, also served as manager of Newcastle United during the 1998-99 season.
Chris Hughton is one of the most respected managers in English football and, like Gullit, he has managed more than one Premier League club, having occupied the hotseat at Newcastle, Norwich City and, most recently, Brighton.
A former Republic of Ireland international, Hughton also spent two brief periods as caretaker manager of Tottenham in the late 1990s, having served as a long-term first-team coach at White Hart Lane.
| Manager | Team(s) coached |
|---|---|
| Ruud Gullit | Chelsea, Newcastle United |
| Chris Hughton | Tottenham (caretaker), Newcastle United, Norwich City, Brighton |
| Jean Tigana | Fulham |
| Paul Ince | Blackburn Rovers |
| Darren Moore | West Brom |
| Terry Connor | Wolves (caretaker) |
| Nuno Espirito Santo | Wolves, Tottenham |
| Hayden Mullins | Watford (caretaker) |
| Chris Ramsey | Queens Park Rangers |
| Patrick Vieira | Crystal Palace |
| Vincent Kompany | Burnley |
Paul Ince is widely credited as being the first black British manager in Premier League history, having managed Blackburn Rovers for a period in 2008.
His stint in charge of Rovers was shortlived, lasting just 21 games. Ince, who was also the first black footballer to captain England, has subsequently managed MK Dons, Notts County and Blackpool.
France Euro 84 hero Jean Tigana managed Fulham in the Premier League for a period, having masterminded their promotion from Division One (now Championship).
Tigana, who had previously won the French league with Monaco, also secured a UEFA Intertoto Cup with The Cottagers.
Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo is another black manager who has coached in the Premier League, having guided Wolves into the division by winning the Championship in 2018.
A former Valencia and Porto boss, he led Wolves into the 2019-20 Europa League, where they reached the quarter-finals, before subsequently managing Tottenham.
Darren Moore managed West Brom in the Premier League and is the first ever Jamaican to manage in the division, while Chris Ramsey served as Queens Park Rangers boss in 2015.
Patrick Vieira managed Crystal Palace for two seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, while Vincent Kompany led Burnley to promotion from the Championship in 2023. Terry Connor and Hayden Mullins' tenures, at Wolves and Watford respectively, meanwhile, were on an interim basis.
