Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce Tony Mowbray as the Club’s new Head Coach.
The 58-year-old has signed a two-year contract at the Stadium of Light and returns to Sky Bet Championship management following a three-month hiatus.
Mowbray arrived at the Academy of Light on Tuesday and oversaw the team’s final preparations ahead of tomorrow’s fixture versus Rotherham United before finalising his move to Wearside.
He has a wealth of managerial experience, having taken charge of more than 800 professional games during a 20-year coaching career.
Mowbray enjoyed consistent success in his most-recent role with Blackburn Rovers, guiding the Club from Sky Bet League One to eighth in the Sky Bet Championship during a five-year tenure.
Born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, he enjoyed a stellar playing career that included more than 670 senior appearances with Middlesbrough, Celtic and Ipswich Town.
He began his coaching career at Portman Road and assumed his first managerial position in 2002 with Hibernian, earning the Scottish Football Writers' Association Manager of the Year award in his first season.
Mowbray joined West Bromwich Albion in 2006 and guided the Baggies to the Premier League in 2008, with returns to Celtic and Middlesbrough preceding a spell in charge of Coventry City.
The Head Coach will take charge of his first game at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday evening.
Mowbray said: “I grew up in the North East and I always remember my experiences at Roker Park with great fondness – the emotion, passion and size of Sunderland AFC. This is a huge opportunity to continue the good work that has taken place over the past two years and I hope the supporters can see that this football club is on its way back. It is a journey – I’ve just come from Blackburn Rovers and like here, it was a rebuilding process – but we want to win and we will be aggressive. The players must understand what they are fighting for because they are the standard-bearers for the city and win, lose or draw, we must ensure those who come to watch us see a team that gives everything in every game.”
Kristjaan Speakman added: “We have absolute clarity in the principles by which we are working and believe Tony is best placed to support our continued growth as a Club. We have great admiration for the work that he has undertaken in previous roles and throughout our process, he was able to clearly evidence his alignment to our ambitions. He has the personal values that we want to promote and that our supporters will naturally respect, whilst also possessing a strong understanding of the region and the people we represent. We have an abundance of enthusiasm, energy and ideas at the Club and I have no doubt that Tony’s influence will go far beyond the field of play."