Next Preston North End Manager: Five Potential Candidates to Replace Paul Heckingbottom
Preston North End have sacked Paul Heckingbottom as head coach with the Lilywhites bottom of the Championship after six defeats in their opening seven games.
Assistant Stuart McCall has also left Deepdale, with coach Jason Euell placed in interim charge for Saturday's trip to QPR before the three-week international break follows.
A club statement read: “Football is a results business and despite significant investment in the playing squad since Paul joined, the results during 2026 and the start of this current campaign have not been acceptable.”
UK betting sites have yet to open a formal market on Preston's next permanent head coach.
Next Preston North End Manager Candidates
With no market currently priced up, here at Free Bets, we’ve picked out five names who could be in the frame for the Deepdale job.
Graham Alexander
Graham Alexander is arguably the standout name on this list.
The former Preston full-back made over 400 appearances across two spells at Deepdale and was voted onto the club's greatest-ever XI in a 2024 Lancashire Evening Post fan poll.
He's turned Bradford City around since taking charge 34 months ago, guiding the Bantams from relegation-battling dysfunction to a League Two title and a League One play-off finish last term, with the club again well placed this season.
Alexander has been sacked from several jobs before finding stability at Valley Parade, and swapping the top of League One for the bottom of the Championship carries obvious risk.
But Preston's long-standing preference for British managers, combined with the emotional pull of a returning club legend, makes him a name their hierarchy will at least consider.
Rob Edwards
Rob Edwards has strong Championship pedigree, having guided Luton Town to promotion via the play-offs in 2023 after winning League Two with Forest Green Rovers.
He moved to Wolves last year but was sacked by the Premier League club ahead of this season.
He favours a back three, attacking wing-backs and an aggressive high press, a style built around intensity and quick transitions.
He's also well regarded for his man-management.
For Preston, Edwards would bring second-tier promotion experience and Premier League exposure.
His relegation record at Wolves is a mark against him, but his availability and motivational qualities make him a serious option.
Dave Challinor
Dave Challinor is a proven promotion specialist, with spells at AFC Fylde, Hartlepool United and Stockport County all ending in promotions.
He left Stockport in June after losing the League One play-off final and was linked with Blackburn Rovers over the summer.
His teams typically play a high-intensity 3-5-2 with aggressive wing-backs and a high press, built on clear structure and attacking freedom.
For Preston, Challinor offers EFL know-how and a track record of overperforming with limited resources.
Whether that translates to Championship level is the obvious question, but his recent pedigree keeps him in the conversation.
Steve Evans
Steve Evans has transformed Bristol Rovers this season, and his work at the Memorial Stadium has reportedly put him on the radar at both Preston and Hibernian should either vacancy suit him.
The 63-year-old has managerial experience at Leeds United and Rotherham United among a long list of clubs, and knows what a relegation fight looks like from both ends.
For Preston, Evans offers a battle-hardened figure who could bring immediate know-how to a dressing room short on confidence, even if an approach for a manager enjoying a strong League Two campaign wouldn't come cheap or straightforward.
Bo Henriksen
Bo Henriksen is the left-field candidate on this list, but his track record of turning struggling teams around makes him an intriguing option for Preston.
The Dane built his reputation in Scandinavia before steering Mainz 05 away from Bundesliga trouble, then leading them to sixth place and European qualification.
His teams are typically built around intense pressing, a high line and a back three, with aggression and quick attacking football at the heart of his approach.
Henriksen would be an unconventional appointment for Preston, but his experience of lifting teams out of difficult situations is a clear positive.
His lack of recent English football experience and time away from management since leaving Mainz are the obvious concerns, although his high-energy approach could be just what Preston need to lift the mood at Deepdale.
For now, Jason Euell takes interim charge for Saturday’s trip to QPR before the international break, with Preston’s permanent search already under way.
This page will be updated if a formal market opens or a frontrunner emerges.
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