MK Dons are on the lookout for a new manager following their relegation to League Two.
Former Leeds United Under 23s coach Mark Jackson was sacked after winning just six of his 25 matches in charge at Stadium MK, equating to a 24% win percentage - culminating in the club's relegation. The 45-year-old was appointed off the back of Liam Manning's dismissal back in early December, with the latter accumulating just 15 points in his last 20 games as coach of the Dons.
League 1 | Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 |  Cambridge Utd | 46 | 13 | 7 | 26 | -27 | 46 | |
| 21 |  MK Dons | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | -22 | 45 | |
| 22 |  Morecambe | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | -31 | 44 | |
| Last updated 13/06/2025 | ||||||||
Michael Appleton is the early bookmakers’ favourite to be appointed as manager of MK Dons.
The 47-year-old was sacked as manager of Blackpool back in January having won just seven of his 29 matches in charge of the Bloomfield Road club, in what was his second spell as Tangerines’ manager.
Prior to his role at the Seasiders, Appleton had one of his best managerial spells, doing so with Lincoln City between September 2019 and April 2022, where he won 55 and drew 33 of his 143 matches in charge at Sincil Bank.
On top of this, Appleton will be fondly remembered at Oxford United, having overseen 173 matches in charge from July 2014 and June 2017, earning promotion from League Two back in 2015/16, while finishing as runner-up in back-to-back EFL Trophy finals between 2015 and 2017.
Former Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley is still on the lookout for a new job, having had his contract terminated earlier on in the campaign by the South Coast club.
The 44-year-old lost his job at Fratton Park in January having failed to win a league game for over two months, leaving Pompey in 12th at the time, while his overall managerial record of the club lies at 42 wins and 27 draws from 97 matches, equating to a 43.3% win percentage.
Cowley previously managed Huddersfield Town in the Championship for a total of 40 matches, winning 13 and drawing 11, consolidating the Terriers' place in the division during the 2019/20 season.
His three-year spell at Lincoln City will be remembered as his best managerial spell to date, having won two promotions from the National League (2016/17) and League Two (2018/19) by winning each division, on top of this, the Imps also won the EFL Trophy in 2018, while being the first side in over 100 years to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup outside of the Football League in the 2016/17 season.
Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill is a shock candidate for the job at MK Dons.
The 58-year-old oversaw a 12th-placed finish in England’s third-tier with the Shrews during the 2022/23 season and has a decent record at League One level, having guided Bristol City to the League One title and Football League Trophy back in 2014/15.
Cotterill is known for offering sides stability, having managed Cheltenham Town between 1997 and 2002, overseeing two promotions and an EFL Trophy win, while also being held in high regard at Burnley for his spell at Turf Moor between 2004 and 2007 in what were tough times for the Clarets.
Recently sacked Oxford United boss Karl Robinson is rumoured to be in the frame for a shock return to Stadium MK.
At present, Robinson is Sam Allardyce's assistant manager at Leeds United as the Whites look to desperately avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Robinson is perhaps best known for his six-year spell as MK Dons manager between 2010 and 2016 where he earned them promotion to the Championship back in the 2014/15 season via a second-place finish.
Following his time at MK, the 42-year-old Liverpudlian took charge of Charlton Athletic between November 2016 and March 2018, but, departed from The Valley by mutual consent after winning just 27 of his 74 matches in charge.
Robinson was in charge of Oxford between March 2018 and February 2023, managing The U’s 274 times, winning 110 of these matches.
Former Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell is the bookmakers’ favourite to be MK Dons’ next manager.
The 42-year-old is without a club following his departure from Gresty Road last season upon Alexandra’s relegation, with that role being his only managerial job to date, having held that role for five years.
During his time as Crewe manager, Artell oversaw their promotion to League One via a second-place finish in League Two in the 2019/20 season. The former Rotherham United defender managed Alexandra 274 times, winning 100 matches and drawing 51, seeing him have a win percentage of 36.5%.
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