Wolverhampton Wanderers have named Rob Edwards as their new head coach, securing the 42-year-old on a long-term contract after agreeing a compensation package with Championship side Middlesbrough. Edwards departs Middlesbrough after just 15 matches in charge to take over at Molineux, where he previously served as both a player and a coach.
The move comes with Wolves entrenched at the foot of the Premier League table, having collected only two points from their opening eleven fixtures. Edwards’ first test will be a home match against Crystal Palace later this month, as the club seeks to end a run of four consecutive defeats.
Edwards leaves a Middlesbrough side sitting second in the Championship, having won their first match without him this past weekend. Reports indicate the Teesside club initially rebuffed Wolves’ approach, but the manager’s desire to return to his former club proved decisive. Edwards, who had a brief spell as Wolves’ caretaker manager in 2016, is understood to have viewed the Premier League opportunity as one he could not refuse. His family remains based in the West Midlands, easing the transition.
A senior Wolves official highlighted the appointment as a cultural fit, stating the club required a manager who could instill belief and accountability into a struggling squad. The compensation deal also includes a member of Edwards’ backroom staff, who will join him at Molineux.
Middlesbrough confirmed in a statement that they reluctantly accepted Edwards’ resignation after he expressed a firm desire to make the switch, with an agreed fee finalizing his departure.