Owen Coyle, ISL Shield-winning coach, is all set to return to the City of Steel, as Jamshedpur FC prepare to welcome back the experienced tactician as head coach ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season. The club is set to begin a new chapter under Coyle shortly, with his assistant Sandy Stewart also joining him in Jamshedpur and expected to arrive in the city on Saturday to reunite with the squad.
Coyle’s return marks his second stint with the Men of Steel, having previously guided the club to its first-ever major silverware, the ISL League Shield in the 2021–22 season.
Explaining the club’s decision to bring Coyle back, Jamshedpur FC CEO Mukul Choudhari emphasised that the move was driven by circumstances rather than a lack of faith in Indian coaching talent.
“We can proudly say that for the last two years, we had Indian head coaches, first Khalid Jamil and then Steven Dias, with the former taking charge of the Indian national team and these were not token appointments,” Choudhari told RevSportz. “Both were more than capable and did an excellent job. We also believe we are the first club to extend the contract of an Indian head coach.
“This season, however, with relegation still a factor, we needed to be careful, which led to this decision. Owen has done a fantastic job with us in the past, and we are happy to have him back.”
Choudhari also confirmed continuity within the backroom setup, stating that Steven Dias will continue to remain part of the club’s technical think tank. He further revealed that the squad assembled for the previous edition of the Super Cup will remain largely intact for the upcoming ISL campaign.
An Irish-Scottish football manager and former striker, Coyle is well known to Indian football fans for his transformative spells at both Chennaiyin FC and Jamshedpur FC. Renowned for his attacking philosophy and ability to rebuild teams quickly, he has earned a reputation as a turnaround specialist in the ISL.
He first made a significant impact in India during the 2019–20 season when he joined Chennaiyin FC midway through a difficult campaign. Taking over a side rooted to the bottom of the table, Coyle orchestrated a remarkable revival, guiding Chennaiyin all the way to the ISL final. He followed that success by leading Jamshedpur FC to the League Shield in the 2021–22 season, finishing top of the table and etching his name into the club’s history books.
Before his Indian ventures, Coyle enjoyed notable success in English football. His most celebrated achievement came with Burnley, whom he guided to promotion to the Premier League in 2008-09 via the Championship play-offs. He later managed Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League and led them to an FA Cup semi-final, further underlining his pedigree at the highest level.
Meanwhile, Jamshedpur’s preparations on the ground have already begun, with the upcoming ISL season slated to start from February 14, although the official fixtures are yet to be announced. Jamshedpur FC’s senior team has started regrouping in the Steel City, with players arriving ahead of the club’s pre-season training camp. Almost the entire squad has already reported and begun gearing up for the new ISL season under familiar leadership.
With Coyle back at the helm and pre-season preparations underway, Jamshedpur FC, ISL semi-finalists last season and runners-up in the Super Cup 2025 after falling to FC Goa in the final, will be hoping to rediscover the consistency and competitive edge that once made them Shield winners.
