OFFICIAL: Edwards becomes Wolves manager, signs three-and-a-half-year deal

Rob Edwards is the new Wolves head coach, having signed a three-and-a-half-year deal to begin his fourth spell at the club.

The former Old Gold defender has taken to management impressively in recent years, earning promotions with Forest Green Rovers and Luton Town – to the Premier League – while enjoying a positive start to this Championship season with Middlesbrough.

Born in Telford, Edwards’ affinity with Wolves first began in 2004. He played 111 times across four seasons with the club, most notably in the centre of defence under Mick McCarthy.

Edwards, who was capped 15 times by Wales, later enjoyed spells with Blackpool – where he won promotion to the Premier League as a player – and Barnsley, and made his first steps into coaching with Wolves’ under-18s in 2014.

Within a year, he was working under Kenny Jackett as first-team coach, and in October 2016 took charge of two first-team matches on an interim basis, following Walter Zenga’s time at Molineux.

After a first taste of senior management with AFC Telford United, Edwards returned to Wolves once more as under-23 head coach and won a first promotion to the highest level of youth football for the club.

Time coaching within the Football Association followed, as did a first piece of silverware in senior management with Forest Green, having won the League Two title in 2022, before a brief stint with Watford.

It was at Luton where Edwards managed in the Premier League for the first time, having successfully guided the Hatters through the Championship play-offs in May 2023, and earned plaudits in the top flight.

Now, Edwards returns to Wolves on the back of a positive start to the season with Middlesbrough, who he leaves second in the Championship.

Jeff Shi said: “I know Rob very well and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented. When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.

“We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that. We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that.”

Matt Jackson said: “Rob and his staff have demonstrated previously that they can be really good in shifting the culture, getting confidence quickly into players and building foundations for a really positive future. He loves being on the grass and making a change to a team, embracing the tactics of different situations.

“The energy that he brings off the field, we have to get it on to the pitch. We have to be realistic about where we are, and we definitely need to be held accountable. We now need to get that belief into the players quickly and think Rob will be great culturally for the whole football club.”

Edwards will be joined at the club by Harry Watling, who takes on the role of assistant head coach. After nine years in academy football, Watling gained managerial experience with Hartford Athletic in the US and Ebbsfleet United last year, before joining Edwards’ team at Middlesbrough. More backroom staff will be confirmed in the near future.