The 2026/27 Championship campaign is full of talented managers, but who stands out statistically?
There are numerous head coaches at various stages of their careers, from those with hundreds of games under their belts, such as Phil Parkinson and Chris Wilder, to those just starting out in the dugout, such as James Morrison and Tonda Eckert.
Regardless of how long a coach has been at the top, a points per game record can often separate the wheat from the chaff and show who has had the most success in their career.
Taking into account caretaker spells and first team games managed, not youth or B team games, per Transfermarkt’s PPG stats, here are the top eight Championship managers with the highest PPG heading into next season.
8Kim Hellberg – 1.58
Kim Hellberg is one of the EFL’s brightest and most entertaining coaches, having taken the Championship by storm with his brand of ‘Hell-ball’ in the six months since joining Middlesbrough.
Prior to that, he had a successful record in Sweden, managing Sylvia, Varnamo, and, most recently, Hammarby, where he competed for the top flight title.
All of this spans 200 games in command of senior outings, with a 1.58 PPG average good enough to place him in the top eight in the second division.
7James Morrison – 1.67
These records frequently favour younger managers who have just been in the dugout for a season or two. In James Morrison’s case, the new West Brom manager has only played 15 games as the number one over three caretaker spells at the Hawthorns, averaging 1.67 points per game.
The recent tenure, which secured him a permanent role near the end of the 2025/26 season, saw the Baggies go on a 10-game undefeated streak, avoiding relegation to League One.
All eyes are on what he can accomplish now that he is the permanent manager and the prospect of relegation no longer hangs over him. If he can continue these results, West Brom will be on pace to return to the play-offs in May.
6Nuno Espirito Santo – 1.67
Nuno Espirito Santo has also averaged 1.67 points per game in his managing career, albeit the West Ham manager’s record is significantly better, having overseen almost 500 more games than James Morrison.
The Portuguese manager has previously coached Valencia and Porto, both top clubs in their respective leagues, as well as Wolves, when he won the Championship and then achieved back-to-back seventh-place finishes in the Premier League.
His biggest performance, however, came in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad, where he averaged 2.26 PPG in 53 games, winning the league title and the cup in 2022.
West Ham is the dugout where he has had the least success, which is understandable given the Hammers’ relegation this season. Now back in the Championship, he’ll be looking to improve his record, which already places him in the top six.
5Michael Skubala – 1.7
Michael Skubala, the new manager of Bristol City, had a fantastic record at Lincoln City in his first permanent management position, leading the Imps to a 29-game undefeated streak and 103 points in League One.
The Robins will be hoping that he can maintain that level of performance in the dugout at Ashton Gate as they look to get back into the play-off picture after a slight drop last season under Gerhard Struber and then Roy Hodgson.
Skubala’s three-game stint as Leeds United’s caretaker manager, during which he earned only one point, prevents him from breaking into the top four, although he still ranks fifth.
4Steven Schumacher – 1.7
Bolton Wanderers manager Steven Schumacher, who achieved promotion alongside Skubala and Lincoln, will be eager to get started in the Championship next season, having proven to be one of the best third-tier managers in recent years.
His dismissal from Stoke City in 2024 was viewed as severe at the time, and he’ll be hoping to prove people wrong after gaining promotion from League One for the second time in his brief managerial tenure.
Maintaining a 1.7 points per game record in the second division with a newly promoted club will be challenging, but Schumacher is now in the top four.
3Philippe Clement – 1.9
There is a significant difference between the top three and the remainder of the division. Given Norwich City manager Philippe Clement’s longer tenure than the top two, this is undoubtedly the most impressive managerial record in the division coming into the new season.
An 86-game stint at Rangers will always raise the averages, and a 2.09 PPG record is certainly his greatest, but after moving to Genk in 2017, his PPG hasn’t dropped below the 1.73 he earned while at Monaco, where he was fired for placing sixth in Ligue 1.
His record after half a year at Norwich is currently 1.82 PPG, and in 2026, the Canaries averaged two points per game through 22 games, so there’s lots to look forward to at Carrow Road next season.
2Chris Davies – 1.92
Chris Davies’ two seasons in first-team management have seen him lead Birmingham City to the League One title with an EFL record 111 points, followed by a tenth-place result in their first season back in the Championship.
His overall ppg in 2025/26, however, was only 1.4, demonstrating how much of the heavy lifting that debut campaign is doing. If he fails to lead the Blues to the playoffs next season, this figure will undoubtedly plummet dramatically.
If he can match his 2024/25 PPG average, Birmingham might be playing Premier League football in the not-too-distant future.
1Tonda Eckert – 2.1
Tonda Eckert stands out among the points per game leaders, having steered Southampton from an early-season relegation battle under Will Still to the FA Cup semi-finals and Championship play-offs.
It is unclear whether his 2.1 PPG was collected through legitimate means; nonetheless, after the Saints were found guilty on three charges of spying on the opposition, they were ousted from the play-off final and deducted four points to begin the 2026/27 season.
Regardless, there is little denying that Southampton has been extremely impressive under the German manager, losing only six of his 40 games in charge as caretaker and then permanent manager when he was appointed last December.
2.1 PPG over 46 games equals 96 points. If he can keep it up next season, the Saints will most likely outperform last year, even with a deduction.
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