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The shortest managerial tenures in football history

By on December 4, 2015

Leroy Rosenior — Torquay United — ten minutes
Leroy Rosenior has to maintain the unfortunate title of the shortest managerial tenure in football history. Just ten minutes — or 600 seconds — after Rosenior signed the dotted line in 2007, a local consortium took over the club and wanted bring in their own man. At least Rosenior was compensation for the trouble.   
Les Reed — Charlton Athletic — six weeks

Les Reeds literally wrote the book on coaching football, but perhaps he should have studied some more before taking the job at Charlton in 2006. The Addicks won just one of their right games under Clough, including a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur and 3-0 at home defeat Liverpool. He was sacked on Christmas Eve after losing to League Two side Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup.
Brian Clough — Leeds United — forty-four days 

Perhaps Brian Clough should have thought twice before lambasting Don Revie’s “dirty” Leeds United side not too long before taking the reigns at the club in 1974. His infamous tenure at Elland Road lasted just forty-four days and six games, of which Leeds won just one. Since, his struggle to win over the dressing room has been captured in both a book and film.

Steve Coppell — Manchester City and Bristol City — thirty-three days; three months 

Steve Coppell might not have been Manchester City manager for more than thirty-three days, but his reputation remains firmly planted at the old Maine Road. He walked from the job barely a month into his tenure at City, muttering something about stress and pressure before exiting the chairman’s offices, not to be seen again at the stadium.

A few years later, the former Manchester United winger pulled the same trick at Bristol City after three months on the job.

Henning Berg — 57 days — Blackburn Rovers
In 2012, Henning Berg signed on at Blackburn, a job he had previously said “no real managers with credibility would accept.” He was sacked after just eight weeks; perhaps proving himself true.
Honorable mentions:

Martin Ling — Leyton Orient — Nine days 

Kevin Cullis — Seven days — Swansea  City
Gian Piero Gasperini — Five games — Inter Milan

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.