Exeter City's top 10 best ever managers in order of win percentage (Ranked) | OneFootball

Exeter City have enjoyed a solid start to the 2023-24 League One season under the guidance of Gary Caldwell.

The former Celtic and Wigan Athletic defender is embarking on his first full campaign in charge of the Grecians, having replaced Matt Taylor in October 2022.

Although there is a long a way to go yet, the Scotsman's ultimate aim will be to guide Exeter into the second tier of English football for the first time in their history.

That would be some achievement and would certainly cement his place as one of the club's most successful managers of all time.

Below, we have ranked the top 10 win percentages of any Grecians manager – according to Soccerbase and Transfermarkt – as of the end of last season.

10 Johnny Newman – 36.6%

Kicking off the countdown is former defender Newman, who had been at Exeter for two years when he was made player-manager in April 1969.

Newman then continued as boss for a further four years after retiring in 1972, guiding the Grecians to five top-10 finishes in the Fourth Division.

He departed Exeter in December 1976 after winning 138 of his 377 matches in charge.

9 George Roughton – 36.7%

A former defender at Huddersfield Town and Manchester United, Roughton launched his managerial career at Exeter shortly after World War II.

Under his stewardship, the Grecians consolidated their status as a mid-table side in the Third Division South, while they also reached the FA Cup fourth round in successive seasons.

Roughton oversaw 99 victories in 270 games at St James' Park before he left for Southampton in March 1952.

8 Brian Godfrey – 36.7%

Though boasting the same win percentage, Godfrey takes eighth place having managed 30 fewer games than Roughton - winning 88 of those.

The former Aston Villa striker's impressive work at Bath City led to him replacing Bobby Saxton at Exeter in January 1979.

The Grecians recorded three successive top-half finishes in the Third Division, but it was in the 1980-81 FA Cup that they made huge strides under Godfrey.

Indeed, he guided them to only the second quarter-final in their history - the other coming in 1931 - following victories over the likes of Leicester City and Newcastle United, before they were beaten 2-0 by eventual champions Tottenham.

Godfrey went on to manage Weymouth and Gloucester City after leaving Exeter at the end of the 1982-83 season.

7 Paul Tisdale – 38.5%

The longest-serving manager in Exeter's history, Tisdale took charge of the club for 12 years between 2006 and 2018.

Following his impressive work with Team Bath, who he guided to the FA Cup first round proper in 2002-03, the former midfielder almost guided the Grecians to promotion from the Conference in his first season, losing out to Morecambe in the play-off final.

However, he went one better 12 months later by securing Exeter's return to the EFL after they beat Cambridge United at Wembley, before achieving a second promotion in as many seasons.

The Grecians spent three years in League One before returning to League Two in 2011-12.

Tisdale almost led Exeter back into the third tier in each of his last two seasons in charge, but both culminated in play-off final defeats against Blackpool and Coventry City before he departed after 241 wins from 626 games.

6 Billy McDevitt – 39.7%

McDevitt became only Exeter's fourth different manager when he replaced Dave Wilson in February 1929.

Although the Grecians were re-elected to the EFL after their relegation in his first season, he eventually stabilised the club in the Third Division South - leading them to a second-place finish in 1932-33.

Two years earlier, McDevitt oversaw a brilliant run to the FA Cup quarter-finals, where Exeter beat Coventry, Derby and Leeds before succumbing to Sunderland.

He left St James' Park in September 1935 after 295 matches at the helm, 117 of which ended in victory.

5 Jack Edwards – 40.2%

Edwards began his managerial career at Exeter when he replaced Cyril Spiers in February 1963.

The former Crystal Palace and Rochdale defender hit the ground running at St James' Park, helping the Grecians gain promotion to the Third Division during his first full season in charge.

But Edwards left the Grecians the following January after winning 41 of his 102 matches in Exeter's dugout.

4 Bobby Saxton – 41.3%

Like predecessor Newman, Saxton initially combined managerial duties with his role as player when he was appointed in January 1977.

It proved an inspired move by the Exeter board as he guided the club to promotion to the Third Division that season.

Saxton, who continued in the dugout after retiring as a player, won 45 of his 109 matches in charge before departing in January 1979.

However, he just misses out on the top three having managed more games.

3 Eamonn Dolan – 41.3%

Taking the bronze medal in our rankings is a man who served Exeter in several capacities over a 13-year period.

Dolan completed his playing career with the Grecians between 1991 and 1993, making 26 league appearances, before remaining at the club as their football in the community officer and youth coach.

He was then named caretaker manager after John Cornforth's departure in October 2002, and got the job on a full-time basis after the club were relegated from the EFL the following year.

Exeter just missed out on the Conference play-offs during Dolan's first season in charge, before he left in September 2004 to become the academy manager at Reading after 26 wins from 63 games at the helm.

2 Matt Taylor – 43.6%

Former captain Taylor had been part of the side that gained successive promotions to League One during the late 2000s.

He returned as the club's manager when he succeeded Tisdale in June 2018 and missed out on the League Two play-offs by a single point in his first season in charge.

The Grecians suffered play-off final heartbreak at the hands of Northampton Town the following year, but Taylor eventually secured their return to League One in 2021-22.

After four years in charge - and 99 wins from 227 matches - he departed St James' Park for Rotherham United in October 2022.

1 Alex Inglethorpe – 49.4%

Topping the list with 44 victories in 89 games, Inglethorpe initially represented Exeter as a player for a year, ending his professional career there in 2001.

Three years later, he was named the Grecians' successor to Dolan and guided the club to successive sixth-place finishes in the Conference.

But the highlight of his time in charge came in the 2004-05 FA Cup third round, when Exeter held Premier League giants Manchester United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford.