We take a look at the contenders to be the next manager of Bradford City after Graham Alexander was linked with the vacant position at Preston North End.
Alexander led Bradford to promotion from League Two in the 2024/25 season, before reaching the League One play-offs last season.
The Bantams have also made a strong start to the new League One campaign and they sit in third place after their first six fixtures.
Preston parted ways with Paul Heckingbottom following last weekend's home defeat to Lincoln City and Alexander's name has been mentioned in the media as a potential replacement.
Alexander made over 400 appearances for Preston across two separate spells and he remains popular with supporters despite a four-year stint with rivals Burnley.
Here are our top five contenders to be the next Bradford manager in the event that Alexander returns to Deepdale.
Next Bradford Manager Contenders
Dave Challinor
Former Stockport County boss Dave Challinor could have his pick of a few different positions in the coming weeks.
Challinor left Stockport following last season's League One play-off final defeat to Bolton Wanderers and he is biding his time as he considers his next move.
The 50-year-old boasts an incredible record of securing a play-off finish or better in each of his 15 full seasons as a manager.
Paul Cook
Paul Cook has been in charge at League Two outfit Chesterfield since February 2022.
He led the club back into the football league in 2024 and has guided the club into the League Two play-offs in each of the last two seasons.
Cook would provide a wealth of EFL experience and he also has a League One promotion on his CV from his time at Wigan Athletic.
Neil Harris
Cambridge United manager Neil Harris has done a fine job at the Abbey Stadium.
He took over in February 2025 and his arrival came too late for the club to avoid relegation from League One, but he guided the club to promotion from League Two at the first attempt last season.
The U's have made a strong start to the new campaign and they sit fourth in the third-tier table after their opening six league games.
Richie Wellens
Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens has been linked with various positions over the last few months.
Wellens led Orient to the League One play-off final two seasons ago but he was frustrated after his team finished 20th in the 2025/26 campaign.
The opportunity to join a potential promotion challenge could be too good to turn down.
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson has been out of work since being sacked at Peterborough United in October 2025.
The 54-year-old won promotion from League One three times across his various spells at Peterborough.
Ferguson was strongly linked with Leicester City prior to Russell Martin's appointment and he remains an attractive proposition for League One clubs.
