Ipswich Town to Appoint Gary O’Neil as Head Coach

Ipswich Town are closing in on Gary O’Neil as their next head coach, a decisive move to steady the club after the shock departure of Kieran McKenna.

The 43-year-old Strasbourg boss is poised to take over at Portman Road, with only compensation between Ipswich and the Ligue 1 club left to finalise. That is not expected to derail the deal. Inside the club, they are behaving as though the handover is already under way.

From Strasbourg to Suffolk

O’Neil arrives with credit in the bank from France. Strasbourg finished eighth in Ligue 1 last season and punched above their weight in Europe, reaching the Europa Conference League semi-finals before falling to Rayo Vallecano. It was the first time the club had ever reached the last four of a European competition – a run that did not go unnoticed in England.

Ipswich’s admiration for O’Neil is not new. The club’s hierarchy have tracked his progress for some time, and the interest was first reported earlier this month. His coaching reputation has grown steadily since his Premier League spells with Bournemouth and Wolves, where he built a name as a sharp tactician and a calm presence in chaotic situations.

His return to England will also reunite him with a familiar face. O’Neil played for Bristol City when Mark Ashton, now Ipswich’s chief executive, held the same role at Ashton Gate. Those who know Ashton’s methods will not be surprised he has turned to a coach he trusts from past experience.

Strasbourg had been confident of keeping O’Neil after appointing him in January, but the pull of a Premier League project has proved too strong. Once the paperwork is done, he will be back in the English top flight for the first time since leaving Wolves in December 2024.

Building a backroom to match the ambition

Ipswich are not just targeting O’Neil. Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley are also expected to follow him from France to Suffolk, bolstering a backroom team designed to make the jump from promotion momentum to Premier League survival.

Critchley, in particular, brings a strong coaching pedigree, while Jenkins has worked closely with O’Neil at Strasbourg. Ipswich want a joined‑up operation, not a one-man rescue act.

The club did cast the net wider. Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also in contention this week, his name one of the more eye-catching options on the shortlist. In the end, Ipswich have opted for a coach whose recent work has been defined by structure, clarity and overachievement rather than nostalgia.

Life after McKenna

The urgency behind this appointment is obvious. Ipswich are heading back into the Premier League for the first time in more than two decades, but they do so without the architect of their rise.

McKenna, who took charge in 2021, leaves having delivered three promotions in four seasons, two of them propelling the Tractor Boys back into the top flight. Last season’s second-place finish in the Championship capped one of the most remarkable modern revivals in English football.

Then he walked away.

Linked with Fulham after Marco Silva’s exit, McKenna chose a different route, stepping down last week to take a break from the game and spend more time with his family. He framed it on his own terms.

“I feel this is the right time for me to step aside,” he said. “I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club.”

Ipswich now have to turn that optimism into something tangible. O’Neil, if and when he signs, will inherit a squad high on belief but untested at this level, a fanbase reawakened, and a club that has rediscovered its identity.

The next question is simple and brutal: can he keep them there?