We take a look at the contenders to be the next manager of Crawley Town following their poor start to the new season.
Crawley preserved their League Two status on the final day of last season but they have struggled in the early weeks of the 2026/27 campaign.
Manager Colin Kazim-Richards arrived in March and was able to keep the club up, but the start to the season is concerning supporters.
This was magnified by their 2-0 defeat to Grimsby, as Crawley were dominated throughout the match and barely laid a glove on their opponents.
Here are our top five contenders to be the next Crawley manager in the event that there is a change in the dugout.
Next Crawley Manager Contenders
Stuart Maynard
Stuart Maynard led York City to the National League title in the 2025/26 season after the team registered an astonishing 108 points.
York decided to part ways with Maynard prior to the new season, which was a major shock for supporters.
Maynard’s stock remains high and he is believed to be looking to return to the dugout.
Michael Appleton
Michael Appleton has been out of work since being sacked at Shrewsbury Town in January.
He departed with the club just two points above the League Two relegation zone following a poor run of form.
Appleton would provide a wealth of experience in the EFL but he will know that his next move needs to be the right one.
John Coleman
Former Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman has been the assistant manager at League One side Reading since June.
The 63-year-old has also managed the likes of Rochdale, Gillingham and Aldershot Town during his career.
It is at Accrington where he made his name as he led the club in over 1,000 matches and won four promotions.
Michael Duff
Michael Duff was relieved of his duties at League One side Wycombe Wanderers earlier this month.
A winless run of five matches at the start of the new season was enough to signal the end of his time at Adams Park.
He won promotion from League Two with Cheltenham Town in 2021, but his managerial career has stalled in recent times.
Andy Butler
Scunthorpe United manager Andy Butler has performed well in his role since taking charge in May 2024.
He led the club to promotion from the National League North in his first season, before guiding the club to the play-offs last season.
Butler will be looking to build on that success this time around and Crawley could do a lot worse than to look in his direction.
