Ipswich Town Set to Appoint Gary O’Neil as New Head Coach

Ipswich Town are closing on Gary O’Neil as their chosen successor to Kieran McKenna, with the club expecting to confirm the 43-year-old’s appointment in the coming days.

Local outlets the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star report that personal terms with O’Neil are close to being agreed. An official approach to BlueCo, the ownership group that controls Strasbourg, is due to follow, and Ipswich are not expecting late complications as they move to secure their new head coach.

The search has not been short of high-profile names. Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was firmly in contention for the Portman Road job, but Ipswich have turned decisively towards O’Neil, convinced by his recent body of work and his reputation for navigating difficult situations with clarity and conviction.

O’Neil arrives with Premier League scars and credentials. Thrown into the deep end at Bournemouth in the 2022/23 season, he steered the Cherries away from relegation when many had written them off, only to be replaced by Andoni Iraola once the campaign was over.

He resurfaced at Wolves, where his time at Molineux ended with his sacking in December 2024. The story almost came full circle a year later: talks took place over a surprise return in November 2025, but O’Neil ultimately withdrew from the process, choosing not to step back into a job he had only recently vacated.

Instead, his path led to France. In just six months at Strasbourg, O’Neil rebuilt his reputation on the continent. He guided the club to the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League and an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1, achievements that caught the eye back in England and underlined his ability to shape a side quickly in demanding circumstances.

Ipswich are not only targeting O’Neil; they are preparing for a wider reset of the technical setup. He is expected to bring Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley with him from his time at the Stade de la Meinau, assembling a backroom team familiar with his methods and tempo from day one.

If Ipswich complete the deal as confidently as they expect, Portman Road will belong to a coach who has made a habit of walking into turbulence and finding a way through it.