Following Steve Bruce’s sacking as Blackpool boss on Saturday evening, attention has shifted to his replacement as the next Blackpool manager odds are set to go live. Former Bolton manager, Ian Evatt, has been touted as an early favourite to take charge at Bloomfield Road, with Richie Wellens and Stephen Dobbie also in the mix for the job.
A 2-0 defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon was the final nail in the coffin for Bruce, with Blackpool having lost seven of their opening 11 games of the season. The mood among fans had turned sour, and the board was quick to react, announcing that Bruce had been relieved of his duties as head coach along with assistant head coach Steve Agnew and first-team coach Stephen Clemence.
Latest Odds for the Next Blackpool Manager
Markets from the best betting sites for the next Blackpool manager are live on BetVictor, so we’ve previewed who the front-runners for the job are.
| Manager | Odds | Current Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Evatt | 1/2 | Unattached (left Bolton in January 2025) |
| Damien Duff | 4/1 | Unattached (Left Shamrock Rovers June 2025) |
| Stephen Dobbie | 6/1 | Interim head coach at Blackpool |
| Jim Goodwin | 25/1 | Head coach, Dundee United |
| Richie Wellens | 6/1 | Head coach, Leyton Orient |
| Luke Williams | 25/1 | Unattached (Left Swansea City in February 2025) |
| Ian Holloway | 8/1 | Head coach, Swindon Town |
| Charlie Adam | 10/1 | Unattached (Left Everton in June 2025) |
*Odds correct as of 23:15 BST on 06/10/2025. Odds subject to change.
Ian Evatt
Ian Evatt is a Bloomfield Road icon, having made 230 appearances for the club and been part of their promotion to the Premier League in 2010. He left as head coach of Bolton by mutual consent in January 2025, having won the EFL Trophy in 2023 and reached the 2024 League One play-off final.
He’s currently a free agent, and if the board's brief is to reattach the fanbase while achieving results on the pitch, Evatt would be a sound choice.
Richie Wellens
Richie Wellens, another former Bloomfield Road favourite, would be a dream appointment for most fans. Like Evatt, he’s got a rich history with the club, making 191 appearances from 2000 to 2005, lifting two EFL trophies in that time.
His managerial profile is on the rise, and he has already won League Two titles with Swindon Town (2020) and Leyton Orient (2023), before taking Orient to the League One play-off final in 2025. The stumbling block here is that Wellens signed a new three-year deal at Brisbane Road in June, meaning a sizeable compensation package will be needed.
Stephen Dobbie
If it comes down to cost, Stephen Dobbie would be the obvious choice for the next Blackpool manager. He was brought in to work under Bruce and has been appointed caretaker manager until a final decision is made.
The Seasiders may opt to leave Dobbie in charge and assess his performance before investing in a longer-term replacement. This move will come down to how desperate they feel their current plight is and whether they’ve seen enough from Dobbie over the next few games to suggest he can keep them in League One.
