This year’s Championship campaign brings another wave of managerial change, with clubs across the division placing their faith in a mix of proven names and ambitious newcomers.

With the division as competitive as ever, here are the managers hoping to make an impressive start to life at their new clubs.

Tony Mowbray – Blackburn Rovers

The 62-year-old is back in management for the first time since his departure from West Bromwich Albion in May last year. Mowbray has now taken the helm at Blackburn Rovers, who endured a below-par 20th-place finish last season, only five points off relegation.

Mowbray has built an impressive near 25-year career and has managed some of the country’s biggest clubs, such as Coventry City, Sunderland and Birmingham City, plus two spells north of the border at Scottish giants Celtic, where he also played, and a two-and-a-half-year stint at Hibernian.

One of the most experienced managers at Championship level, Mowbray is seen as the man who can stabilise a club that has been in freefall on the pitch under Michael O’Neill and amid the ever-increasing controversy surrounding the Venky ownership.

Michael Skubala – Bristol City

Heads were turned when Bristol City announced the capture of Michael Skubala from Lincoln City after the Imps stormed to promotion last season, posting the second most impressive points tally in League One history with a record unbeaten run of 29 games and reaching the second tier for the first time in 65 years.

Skubala’s rise continues as he arrives at Ashton Gate with title-winning experience and hopes of lifting a club seen as a sleeping giant into a genuine promotion challenge. He also represents key changes to the hierarchy at Bristol City, teaming up with new sporting director James Ellis, with whom he shares a link from their time working together on the coaching staff and board level at Loughborough University.

For Skubala, this is the next step on an unconventional ladder in management, underlining the quality he possesses to galvanise a team, showing its foreseeable that the Robins could enjoy a solid campaign under his leadership.

Nicky Hayen – Burnley

The 45-year-old Belgian arrives at Turf Moor after a disappointing season last term, culminating in yet another relegation from the Premier League, with the club hoping for an immediate return.

Eyebrows have been raised at Hayen’s arrival in Lancashire, with most of his coaching career spent in his native country. Despite half a season managing Welsh outfit Haverfordwest, Hayen has coached some of Belgium’s biggest clubs such as Club Brugge, where he won three domestic trophies, and more recently Genk, whom he helped seal Conference League football.

Hayen will be under pressure from the start, with Burnley desperate for another strong Championship campaign and hoping this season is just a brief stop back in the second tier.

Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw – Lincoln City

Following Michael Skubala’s prompt departure to Bristol City after a club record-breaking League One campaign that Lincoln City promoted to the Championship for the first time in 65 years, many expect the Imps to head straight back down.

However, the club responded swiftly by recruiting from within, elevating assistants Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw to joint head coaches. It was an unsurprising move to the Lincoln faithful, with the club clearly aiming for continuity. Cohen, in his second spell at the club, is a former Nottingham Forest captain with coaching experience at Luton Town, Southampton and Stoke City. Shaw has similarly risen through the ranks at Sincil Bank, progressing from leading the club’s under-18s to joint manager.

The Imps are used to underdog status, and this season’s perceived “free hit” at the Championship could work in their favour. With many already writing them off, that mentality could be a powerful tool in their fight to stay up and continue the upward trajectory Cohen and Shaw have helped build.

Alessio Dionisi – Watford

The 46-year-old Italian arrives at Watford with the club in freefall after yet another season of managerial upheaval and inconsistent performances. Four years on from their last Premier League campaign, the Hornets badly need reinvigoration.

Dionisi, like Nicky Hayen, has spent his career in his homeland, managing some of Italy’s most recognisable sides such as Venezia, Empoli and Sassuolo. He won Serie B with Empoli in 2020/21, showcasing a knack for getting teams into the top division, something Watford will hope he can emulate this season.

Cesar Peixoto – Wolverhampton Wanderers

Another relative unknown to most EFL fans is Cesar Peixoto, who takes charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers for his first managerial job outside Portugal. He arrives at Molineux after the club endured a long, tumultuous campaign, which saw them relegated back to the Championship for the first time since 2017/18, finishing with a mere 20 points.

As a player, Peixoto represented his country and turned out for some of Europe’s most iconic clubs, including Porto and Benfica, before moving into coaching. He will hope to galvanise Wolves back to the Premier League, and with the bookies heavily anticipating a title charge and the impressive signings of Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez, it’s clear they don’t plan on staying in the second tier for long.