Next Lincoln City Manager Odds: Danny Cowley backed into favourite

It's approaching three weeks since Lincoln City parted company with head coach Mark Kennedy after 18 months in charge.

The search continues for the Imps' third manager since the Cowley brothers left in 2019, with the duo now back in as the bookmakers' favourites to return to the club.

Below we run through the latest movements in the next Lincoln manager market.

A return of one win from Mark Kennedy's last six League One games left Lincoln 16th, although chief executive Liam Scully told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that Kennedy's departure wasn't entirely based on results.

"Certainly, it was not purely a results-based decision," Scully said.

"Of course we are ambitious and our aim is to be higher in the table at this moment in time, but it is very early on in the season and there are lots of mitigating factors."

"One thing we want to be clear on is that we are not naive, this is about winning but this isn't purely about results. Far from it."

Kennedy had previously said that midfielder Danny Mandroiu could become "just another statistic" unless he changed his mentality following the player's red card against Burton.

Scully would then go on to say this about Kennedy's comments on Mandroiu:

"Is that part of it? Yes. Is that the reason? No."

"I keep going back to it, and I know I will bore people saying this, but there are many different facets and parts of this.

"This is looking at it from an elevated pitch, the progress that we are making and not necessarily the progress we have made so far, but how do we hit the measures we would like to achieve going forward?"

"And fundamentally that was why we felt it was in the best interests of all parties."

A very familiar name in Danny Cowley has been backed into favourite, replacing Leam Richardson as the 5/4 frontrunner in the betting - scroll down for full odds.

Cowley, alongside brother Nicky, famously fired the Imps from the National League to League One in his three full seasons at the helm, which included a historic run to the FA Cup quarter-final - when they were a non-league club - and Checkatrade Trophy glory.

The Cowley brothers would go on to manage Huddersfield and Portsmouth, leaving the latter at the start of the year. They've since been linked with a plethora of posts but have yet to return to the dugout.

Their previous success, current availability, and popularity with many fans make this a very intriguing option for the club, although the Cowleys are also being hotly linked with Grimsby, as well as Bristol Rovers and Colchester.

Damien Duff is now second in the market behind Cowley at 7/4 with Bet Victor.

Duff is currently in charge of League of Ireland side Shelbourne, who he has just led to a 4th place finish; representing a successful season for the club.

Duff's contract is now set to expire with no word on whether he is staying on.

This uncertainty could see Lincoln make a move for Duff, with Barry Landy reporting that Lincoln's Director of Football Jez George and CEO Liam Scully watched Shelbourne's match last week ahead of Jack Moylan's upcoming transfer to The Imps in January. Perhaps the player wasn't their only focus.

Former bookies' favourite Leam Richardson has seen his odds drift from 6/4 to 8/1.

Richardson has been linked with numerous jobs since leaving Wigan a year ago. The last time he worked in League One he lifted the title and was named Manager of the Year.

Alongside Richardson, you'll also find Stephen Bradley and Tom Shaw at 8/1.

Bradley, 38, is the long-serving manager of Irish club Shamrock Rovers, a job he's held for seven years.

Bradley has a 55% win rate since taking the job in 2016 and has just won his fourth consecutive League of Ireland Premier Division title, alongside previous triumphs in the FAI Cup and the President of Ireland's Cup.

Bradley was offered the Imps job back in May 2022, which he turned down, so it's no surprise to see his name back in the frame again, although his recent comments to the Irish Mirror - in regards to his future - suggest he's staying put:

“Well, things are moving well. I think the club and myself are aligned in terms of what we are thinking and I think that is important.

Lincoln City interim manager Tom Shaw has won two, lost two, and drawn one of his five matches in charge so far, which has seen his odds trimmed from 16/1 to 12/1 to 8/1 to get the job on a permanent basis.

It's worth noting that if he takes charge of 10 matches it counts as a "winner" in the next manager betting market.

Browse the full next Lincoln City manager market below.