Kieran McKenna announced he will step down as Ipswich Town manager this summer 2026, ending a five-season spell at the club [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. He took charge in November 2021, when Ipswich were in League One, and secured three promotions in four years to bring the club back to the Premier League twice [2, 4, 5].
Ipswich finished second in the 2025-26 Championship, clinching promotion to the Premier League for the 2026-27 season after relegation in 2024-25 [2, 3, 4, 5]. McKenna first led the club to the top flight for the 2023-24 season before seeing them relegated the following year, then winning promotion again this season [2, 3, 4, 5].
McKenna, 40, previously worked in youth coaching and first-team roles at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United before his Ipswich appointment [2, 4, 5]. Chairman Mark Ashton praised McKenna’s impact, saying, "The mark he, his staff and his players have made on Ipswich Town and its community will live forever. It has captured a generation" [3]. Ashton added it was "a true honour" to stand alongside McKenna and watch him achieve so much [5].
Reflecting on his departure, McKenna said, "To manage this club has been an absolute privilege. Over the last five seasons we have been on an incredible journey that has brought so many of the best experiences in my professional and personal life" [2]. He added, "When you have the connection that we have built at this club there is never a good time to say goodbye," but felt the timing was right after securing a second promotion [3].
McKenna will take a break from management to focus on recharging and spending time with family, with no new club lined up yet [3, 5]. Ipswich will now search for a new manager to guide them into the Premier League for the 2026-27 campaign.
