The 5 longest serving Championship managers after Coventry City sack Mark Robins | OneFootball

FLW looks at the longest-serving managers in the second tier after Coventry's decision to part ways with the 54-year-old

Coventry City's decision to part ways with Mark Robins has come as a major surprise to many.

The 54-year-old had completely transformed the fortunes of the Sky Blues across a seven-and-a-half year stint - his second spell in charge at the club - which made him by far and away the longest-serving manager in the Championship, with his tenure eventually lasting 386 games.

Of course, longevity in the dugout has become a rarity in modern football, due to the instant demands placed on managers and head coaches, as ownership groups crave instant or relative success.

With that being said, Football League World looks at who are now the five longest-serving managers in the second tier after Robins' departure from the CBS Arena.

5 John Mousinho

Appointed: 20/01/23

John Mousinho now comes into the top five as a result, despite only being in charge of Portsmouth since January 20th, 2023.

However, in that time frame, the 38-year-old has written himself into the history books at Fratton Park, as Pompey returned to the Championship after a 12-year absence in May, winning the League One title in the process.

The South Coast side may have struggled to adjust to life back in the division as they currently prop up the table, but no one can dispute the influence which Mousinho has had in his first managerial role.

The former Oxford United defender has taken charge of 91 games overall, with 83 of those coming in the league, accruing 145 points and 1.75 points per game.

4 Rob Edwards

Appointed: 17/11/22

Rob Edwards took over at Luton Town on 17th November 2022, just weeks after being dismissed by the Hatters' local rivals Watford.

And, it was clear that the man who guided Forest Green Rovers to League One for the first time ever just months before, had a profound influence on the Bedfordshire side, who looked to fill the void left by Nathan Jones.

Just seven months after taking the reins at Kenilworth Road, Edwards completed Luton's remarkable rise from the National League to the Premier League, defeating Robins' Coventry side on penalties at Wembley Stadium in the play-off final.

However, the perennial underdogs' stay in the top flight would only last a season, and their subsequent start to life back in the Championship has been far from spectacular, as they currently find themselves in 19th place after the first 14 games.

Edwards has also took charge of 91 matches since his appointment, averaging 1.23 points per game.

Appointed: 25/10/22

West Bromwich Albion's transformation under Carlos Corberan has been well-documented, with the Baggies sat second-bottom of the Championship at the time of the Spaniard's arrival on 25th October 2022.

But, since then, the only way has been up for the West Midlands outfit, who immediately shot up the table under the guidance of the former Huddersfield Town boss, eventually falling three points short of the play-offs after his first seven months in the hotseat.

After changing the culture of the club amid a backdrop of uncertainty, which was eventually resolved through Shilen Patel's takeover in February, Corberan saw the club into the top six last term, before coming unstuck against eventual promotion winners, Southampton.

Following a high amount of player turnover this summer, Albion currently find themselves vying for a play-off spot once more, despite hitting a recent dip in form after a blistering start to the season which saw them go unbeaten in the first six games.

2 Michael Carrick

Appointed: 24/10/22

Like Corberan, Michael Carrick has earned a reputation as a head coach with a bright future in management.

The former Manchester United midfielder took charge of Middlesbrough a day before the aforementioned Corberan, with the Teesside outfit also in a perilous position of 21st in the Championship at the time.

However, the former Red Devils caretaker boss instantly brought about a change in mentality and results, with the likes of Chuba Akpom in particular, integral to an eventual promotion bid, with the now Ajax striker netting 28 goals across the season.

But, despite eventually ending comfortably inside the top six on 75 points, Boro would be defeated by Coventry in the semi-finals.

Carrick also saw his side reach the EFL Cup semi-finals and stage another late play-off bid last term, before eventually falling four points and two places short.

At present, the Reds find themselves in eighth, having taken 21 points from the first 14 games, with Carrick winning 51 of his 103 games in charge up to this point.

1 Paul Warne

Appointed: 22/09/22

Paul Warne only took over from Liam Rosenior at Derby County on September 22nd 2022, but that currently makes him the longest-serving manager in the division.

Warne earned a reputation for staying loyal to his former side, Rotherham United, over a five-and-a-half year stint, but eventually swapped the New York Stadium for Pride Park, despite the Millers being a division above the Rams at that particular time.

However, Warne has instilled a siege mentality, particularly on home turf, which saw Derby become one of the stronger forces in League One, eventually winning promotion last term after missing out on the play-offs on the final day of the 2022/23 season.

And, at present, his side have adjusted to life back in the second tier relatively well as the best-performing side out of the newly-promoted trio, currently sat in 13th place with 18 points after putting the final nail in Robins' coffin at their Midlands counterparts.