In a surprise move, Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna has decided to take a break from football.
🚨 BREAKING: Kieran McKenna has stepped down as Ipswich manager and decided to take a break from football.
McKenna was a leading contender for Fulham but plans to take time away from management. pic.twitter.com/EU8bYHN00B
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 10, 2026
McKenna’s reason for his decision is to spend more time with his family.
Ipswich will receive compensation if he changes his mind
McKenna’s contract with Ipswich didn’t expire until 2028. If he does decide to return to management in the next 12 months, then the Tractor Boys will be due compensation of around £7m, which would cover the remaining years of his contract.
He had been linked with the vacant Fulham position, but the Cottagers will now have to look at other options for a replacement for outgoing Portuguese head coach Marco Silva.
McKenna will be difficult to replace
The 40-year-old will be a hard act to follow. McKenna joined the Norfolk outfit in December 2021 with the team in League One, guided the club to back-to-back promotions, which saw Town return to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.
Ipswich suffered immediate relegation back to the Championship in the 2024/25 season. After the Tractor Boy’s demotion, there was a suggestion that McKenna was set to leave the club.
However, the former Tottenham coach once again led Town back to the Premier League by guiding them to a second-place finish in the Championship last season.
McKenna managed Ipswich in 222 games, claiming a respectable 105 victories and seeing his team score 400 goals.
Who are the favourites to replace McKenna?
Although the dust hasn’t even settled on McKenna’s departure, there are already head coaches being tipped for the job. Among the prospective favourites are former Bournemouth head coach Gary O’Neil, who is currently in charge of French club Strasbourg.
O’Neil earned praise for steadying the ship at both Bournemouth and Wolves. He also guided Strasbourg to an eighth-place finish in Ligue One after replacing the Chelsea-bound Liam Rosenior.
Former Celtic and Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is also believed to be a frontrunner for the vacant position. The Northern Irishman has a wealth of experience in both the Premier League and the SPL.
Whenever there is a Premier League vacancy, former Burnley, Everton and Forest boss Sean Dyche’s name is usually linked with the job.
That is understandable, as Dyche has taken charge of 583 senior games as a manager. He would be considered a safe pair of hands if Ipswich wanted to take a slightly more pragmatic approach next season, as his preferred style of football is highly different from McKenna’s.
It will be difficult for whoever takes the job, as McKenna did such a good job. However, Ipswich’s presence in the Premier League will certainly make them an attractive prospect for many head coaches.