Sean Dyche has been appointed as Nottingham Forest’s new head coach.
The 54-year-old – who started out as a trainee at the City Ground in the late 1980s – has signed a contract running until the summer of 2027.
He replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked on Saturday, less than 20 minutes after the full-time whistle of the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest
Dyche will take charge of his first Forest game on Thursday night, when Porto visit the City Ground in the Europa League.
Former Forest players Ian Woan and Steve Stone will return to the club as part of the coaching team.
A statement on the club’s official website concluded: “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 organisation, resilience, and strength from set pieces – qualities that align closely with the current squad’s attributes and the club’s footballing identity.
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Take a look back at Sean Dyche’s funniest moments after he was appointed by Nottingham Forest
“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 man-management skills, his appointment represents the best opportunity for a successful and competitive season across both domestic and European competitions.”
Why this appointment is crucial for Marinakis
Evangelos Marinakis knows this next managerial appointment is key in trying to produce some stability and belief in the dressing room and among the supporter base after a damaging period for the club.
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Jamie Carragher analyses the stats during Sean Dyche’s time at Everton and how they compare to Ange Postecoglou and Nuno Espirito Santo’s stints at Forest
In that regard, Forest’s hierarchy currently believe Dyche is the best man to steady the ship, organise and motivate the players, and crucially keep the club in the Premier League despite having ambitions of finishing further up the table.
Another key demand from the owner is for the new appointment to maximise the significant investment that was made in the playing squad in the summer.
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Back in 2023, Sean Dyche reminisced on his time at Nottingham Forest
Forest spent more than £180m in the transfer window, and £130m of that talent wasn’t in the matchday squad against Chelsea. This was another area of dispute between the owner and Postecoglou, Sky Sports News has been told.
Marinakis’ busy start to the season
August 15: In the first week of the Premier League season, Nuno Espirito Santo admits his “unbalanced” side have a “major problem” as the Premier League returns, warning they are “very, very far” from where they should be.
August 15: Forest then advance on a quadruple deal for Omari Hutchinson, Douglas Luiz, James McAtee and Arnaud Kalimuendo.
August 22: A week later, Nuno says his relationship with Marinakis is “not the same” and admits “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” in response to reports his position at the club is under threat.
August 22: Marinakis is understood to be “baffled” by Nuno’s comments, and there has been no intention of sacking him as the club’s manager.
August 24: Nuno takes charge of Forest’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace – and calls for a goalkeeper and two full-backs to complete his squad in the transfer window.
August 29: After Forest’s Europa League draw, Marinakis says Nuno is the “right man for the job” and “everything is solid” between him and the head coach. He also admits there are talks planned during the international break.
August 31: In what would end up being his final interview as Forest boss, Nuno reveals his desire to stay on in the job and says there was direct communication with Marinakis.
September 1: Forest deliver on Nuno’s demands for two full-backs and a goalkeeper on Deadline Day – completing deals for Nicolo Savona, Oleksandr Zinchenko and John Victor, while winger Dilane Bakwa also joins.
September 8: Nuno is sacked as Forest head coach.
September 9: Forest move quickly to appoint Ange Postecoglou as Nuno’s successor, with the Australian seen at the Forest training ground by lunchtime.
October 18: Postecoglou is sacked after failing to win any of his eight matches in charge. Advanced talks with Sean Dyche revealed just hours after Ange exit.
October 21: Dyche appointed new head coach on a contract until the summer of 2027.
‘Hard work starts now for Dyche’
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Monday Night Football takes a close look at how Sean Dyche will compare to the differing styles of Ange Postecoglou and Nuno Espirito Santo during their tenures at the City Ground.
Latest from Sky Sports’ Anton Toloui:
“The hard work starts now for Sean Dyche.
“He has three main objectives while head coach of Nottingham Forest.
- Get away from the Premier League relegation places to establish Forest as a top-half club.
- Go deep in Europe.
- Fully utilise the expensive squad.
“The game against Porto on Thursday is a fascinating insight into how Dyche goes about it.
“Which players will establish themselves as trusted soldiers? How expansive will Dyche’s team be? Will he rotate the team to play more of the summer recruits?
“It’s clear this appointment was led by Forest’s global head of football Edu Gaspar and not owner Evangelos Marinakis. Edu’s team was ringing around coaches, kicking the tyres on candidates and seeing who had a vision that aligned with the club’s at an affordable cost.
“They opted for Dyche due to his Premier League experience, pragmatic approach and links with the club.
“We’ll find out quickly whether it’s the right call with Forest taking on tough opponents over the next few weeks.”
Nottingham Forest’s upcoming fixtures
- October 23 – Porto, Europa League
- October 26 – Bournemouth, Premier League – Live on Sky Sports
- November 1 – Man Utd, Premier League
- November 6 – Sturm Graz, Europa League
- November 9 – Leeds Utd, Premier League – Live on Sky Sports
