West Brom sack head coach Mowbray

Tony Mowbray won the Championship with West Bromwich Albion in 2008 and led Blackburn Rovers to promotion from League One a decade later

West Bromwich Albion have sacked head coach Tony Mowbray after just three months of his second spell in charge.

The 61-year-old was dismissed after Monday's 3-1 home defeat by relegation-threatened Derby County - a loss that all but ends the Baggies' hopes of making the Championship play-offs.

The former Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough boss was reappointed as Albion head coach in January, almost 16 years after he left The Hawthorns for Celtic in June 2009.

He replaced Carlos Corberan who left the club to take over at Spanish top-flight side Valencia with the Baggies then sitting seventh in the table.

But Mowbray has led the club to just five wins in his 18 games in charge and they are six points off the play-off spots in 10th place with two games to play.

While the club can mathematically still make the top six, it would take a unlikely set of results for them to have a chance.

Mowbray's assistant Mark Venus has also left, with former Albion midfielder James Morrison placed in interim charge, to be assisted by Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill.

"The club would like to place on record its thanks to Tony and Mark for their efforts – but has made the decision to part company following a series of poor results," a short Albion statement said.

"Tony and Mark will forever be welcome at The Hawthorns and their contributions to the club winning the 2007-08 Championship title will never be forgotten."

Mowbray, who led the Baggies to the Premier League 17 years ago, had returned to management for the first time since a health scare in February 2024.

That led to him stepping away from his role in charge of Birmingham City to undergo treatment for what was later revealed to be bowel cancer.

He was unable to recreate the success he had in his first spell as Albion boss, when he steered West Brom to the Championship play-off final in his first season in charge although they were beaten by Derby County at Wembley.

But a year later they won the title, having also reached the FA Cup semi-final where they lost to eventual winners Portsmouth.

Relegation followed after one season in the top flight, after which Mowbray left in 2009 for Celtic Park.

He had five more managerial stints, with his hometown club Middlesbrough, Coventry City, Blackburn, Sunderland and Birmingham before returning to The Hawthorns.

Mowbray's departure leaves the Baggies searching for their seventh permanent manager in less than six years.

His predecessor Corberan's 26-month stint as boss was a rare example of the club keeping faith with a head coach.

Slaven Bilic, who was in charge from June 2019 to December 2020, was the only other manager in that time to get at least a full season at the helm, during which he led the club to promotion back to the Premier League.

After he was sacked, Sam Allardyce took control but was unable to keep Albion in the top flight as they finished in 19th place and he left that summer.

Valerien Ismael took over but was gone by the following February to be replaced by Steve Bruce as the club ended their first season back in the Championship in 10th place.

Bruce lasted until October that year when Corberan came in and led the club to ninth place in his first season in charge.

A fifth-placed finish followed last season, where the Baggies were beaten by Southampton in the play-off semi finals.

West Brom's 3-1 defeat to John Eustace's Derby was their fifth in their last six games under Tony Mowbray

'A feel-good story without a fairy tale ending' - analysis

Steve Hermon, BBC WM West Brom commentator

There's an air of sadness to Albion's decision to end Tony Mowbray's second spell in charge after less than 100 days. Particularly due to the huge respect he built in his memorable first reign, but the swift sacking barely hours after a 3-1 defeat to Derby is probably best for all parties.

A data led search for Carlos Corberan's successor after his abrupt departure on Christmas Eve led sporting director Andrew Nestor to the 61-year-old, who'd received the all clear from a bowel cancer diagnosis just days earlier.

His return to football management in January was a feel-good story but unfortunately it won't have the fairytale ending of another promotion to the Premier League with the Baggies.

He inherited a squad that had been drilled by the meticulous Spaniard and took the handbrake off. Unfortunately, the players couldn't be trusted at the wheel and the play-off push went off the rails.

Mowbray's chopping and changing of line-ups suggested he was trying to figure out who he could trust to play his way but while he was doing that, results failed to come and two dismal displays over the Easter weekend have cost him his job.

The players certainly shouldn't be absolved from blame for the underwhelming end to the season. It looks like they needed Corberan's discipline, rather than Mowbray's friendly arm around the shoulder.

Time is on Albion's side with the season coming to a close but there's pressure on owners Bilkul to get this next appointment right to re-establish the club as one that can fight for promotion next season.