- Ryan Lowe appointed as the new head coach of Wigan Athletic
- The 46-year-old has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Brick Community Stadium and will be supported by Glenn Whelan, Graham Barrow, and Frankie Bunn in the interim.
- Lowe said: “I’m really excited for the future and to build Wigan Athletic back to where they should be.”
Wigan Athletic have appointed Ryan Lowe as the club’s new head coach.
Lowe, who has had promotion success in Sky Bet League Two with Bury FC and Plymouth Argyle, as well as a more recent spell in the Sky Bet Championship with Preston North End, has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the Brick Community Stadium.
The 46-year-old will be in attendance at Saturday’s game against Charlton Athletic, but with the short turnaround, Glenn Whelan, Graham Barrow and Frankie Bunn will oversee the team.
A further announcement regarding the club’s backroom staffing structure will follow.
Lowe said: “I’m pleased to be here because it’s a fantastic football club with history and tradition. It has had some good times and some bad times, and I’m here to bring the good times back. Hopefully, we can have the Brick bouncing every Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening.
“I’m really excited about the project, and I liked what the ownership group had to say. They showed me the vision of the football club and talked about getting it back to where it belongs – and the first target is to get to the Championship.
“We’ve got to take short, mid and then long-term steps to get there. We’ve got a vision and a plan, which is the most important thing. If we all buy into that plan and vision, I’m sure we will be successful.
“I’m really excited for the future and to build Wigan Athletic back to where they should be.”
Sporting director Gregor Rioch said: “We are thrilled that Ryan has become our new head coach, and believe he will be a fantastic fit for our football club.
“Ryan has a well-founded reputation in the English Football League as an outstanding progressive coach, having gained promotion with Bury and Plymouth Argyle, and guiding Preston North End to 13th, 12th, and 10th placed finishes in the Championship.
“He has experienced what we are striving to achieve as a football club and is someone who is really passionate about our project. Ryan is aligned with our playing identity and naturally fits within our new structure.
“Ryan joining us as our head coach is in-line with a modern-day approach where his main focus is to set the standards for the first team and drive them forward.
“Ryan has an infectious character and will bring real energy and enthusiasm to the football club. We are looking forward to working closely with Ryan, and I wish him the very best of luck and success.”
Managing director Sarah Guilfoyle added: “We are delighted to have reached an agreement for Ryan to become our new head coach. We have followed Ryan’s career for some time, and he adds great experience at this level during his time as both a player and a manager.
“We received an incredible amount of interest in the role, and it was important we gave each applicant the respect and due consideration that they deserved. We underwent a thorough recruitment process to ensure that we appointed the right person for the next stage of our journey.
“Having a succession plan is a vital part of football, irrespective of how the team is performing. Ryan was the stand-out candidate who has a clear vision of how he wants to take the football club forward.
“Ryan is a really exciting appointment, and we look forward to seeing the impact he can have.”
A former striker for Shrewsbury Town, Tranmere Rovers and Bury, Lowe experienced his first real taste of management with the Shakers in January 2018, operating in an interim player-coach role following the exit of manager Chris Lucketti.
Despite the club’s relegation to Sky Bet League Two, Lowe was appointed the permanent boss in May 2018, being entrusted with the task of taking Bury back up to the third tier. A big rebuild followed at Gigg Lane ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, and it turned out to be a year to remember as Bury won promotion to League One as runners-up in League Two despite the financial hardship they faced at the time.
It was a proud moment for Lowe, as he became the first person to win promotion with Bury as both a player and manager, having previously helped them up to the third tier as a player in both 2011 and 2015. He, however, left Gigg Lane to take up the vacant managerial role at Plymouth Argyle in June 2019, and his first season at Home Park was a huge success as he earned a second consecutive promotion from League Two.
After consolidating in League One during his second year with the Pilgrims, Lowe’s side started 2021/22 in remarkable fashion with unbeaten months in September and October propelling them well and truly into the hunt for automatic promotion. Lowe’s immense progress at Home Park certainly did not go unnoticed, and he earned a move to Preston North End in December 2021 after guiding Argyle to fourth place at the time of his departure.
Lowe immediately endeared himself to the North End faithful upon his arrival, vowing to excite the supporters by bringing an attacking brand of football. His contributions as manager were instant, as North End enjoyed a second-half resurgence, with their excellent form resulting in the Lilywhites ending the season in 13th place.
Having laid the foundations during his first six months in charge, Lowe oversaw continuous progress throughout his time at Deepdale. An improved 12th place finish in 2022/23 preceded North End’s best start to a league season since 1928/29, with Lowe’s Lilywhites taking 13 points from a possible 15. They went on to secure a top-half finish in the Championship, in a season where they flirted with the play-offs and made positive strides forward.
Lowe made the difficult decision to leave Preston after two-and-a-half years in charge last summer, having felt it was the right time for a new challenge.
The first head coach appointment of Mike Danson’s ownership, Lowe will look to hit the ground running and implement his philosophy and ideas.