Former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is the 5/1 favourite to be the next Barnsley boss after previous head coach Valerien Ismael took the helm at fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion.
Wilder, 53, oversaw a period of incredible success at Bramall Lane since replacing Nigel Adkins in the summer of 2016 with the Blades struggling in midtable in Sky Bet League One.
They romped to the title in his first season, collecting 100 points on the way, and after one campaign of consolidation in the Championship were promoted to the Premier League as runners-up in 2018/19.
After flirting with the European places in their first season in the top flight, Wilder's side suffered from second season syndrome, with the Englishman sacked before the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
Next Barnsley manager odds (via Sky Bet)
- Chris Wilder - 5/1
- Alex Neil - 6/1
- Eddie Howe - 8/1
- Markus Schopp - 10/1
- Paul Warne - 10/1
- Derek McInnes - 12/1
- Gareth Ainsworth - 12/1
- Nigel Clough - 12/1
Odds correct at 0800 BST 25/06/21
The opening comes after former boss Ismael signed a four-year contract at The Hawthorns with Albion agreeing to a compensation package with Barnsley. The Frenchman guided the Tykes to an impressive fifth-placed finish in the Sky Bet Championship last season.
The Baggies parted company with Sam Allardyce at the end of the campaign following relegation from the Premier League and Ismael comes in looking to guide them back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
Ismael, 45, transformed Barnsley from Sky Bet Championship relegation favourites to promotion challengers in his first season at Oakwell.
Former LASK head coach Ismael took over at Barnsley in October last year after the club had failed to win any of their first seven Championship matches.
The Reds were 21st in the table, but proved to be one of the season’s surprise packages and ended the campaign in fifth place.
Barnsley lost last month’s play-off semi-final to Swansea 2-1 on aggregate.
His departure leaves them searching for yet another new head coach. Ismael's predecessor Gerhard Struber, who oversaw a dramatic last-gasp survival when Barnsley won at Brentford in stoppage time on the final day of the 2019/20 season, left for New York Red Bulls after fewer than 12 months in charge.
Prior to that, Daniel Stendel was sacked only two months into his maiden Championship campaign at the club having led them to League One promotion in his first season at the helm.
He inherited the job from Jose Morais, who lasted only four months in South Yorkshire, failing to save the club from relegation to the third tier after taking over from Paul Heckingbottom following his departure for Leeds United in January 2018.
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