Ranking Bristol Rovers' last 7 managers including Barton from worst to best - Graham Coughlan = 3rd | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers will be hoping for another season of progress under Joey Barton in League One this campaign.

Barton led the Gas to a respectable 17th-placed finish in their first year back in the third tier last season, with his side remaining clear of relegation trouble throughout the campaign, and he will be keen to build on that in the year ahead.

While Barton has done an excellent job at the Memorial Stadium so far, it is fair to say that not all managers who have assumed the hot seat at the club have been a success.

7 Mark McGhee

McGhee replaced Paul Buckle as Rovers boss in January 2012, and he successfully led the club away from the League Two relegation zone to a comfortable 13th-placed finish.

The Gas were among the promotion favourites going into the following campaign, but it did not work out that way, and McGhee was sacked in December 2012 with his side sitting second bottom of League Two.

McGhee won 12, drew 12 and lost 21 of his 45 games in charge of Rovers, and he has gone on to manage Motherwell, Barnet, Eastbourne Borough and Dundee.

6 Paul Tisdale

Tisdale arrived at the Memorial Stadium in November 2020 following the sacking of Ben Garner.

The 50-year-old inherited a side struggling towards the bottom of the table, and after winning just five, drawing three and losing 11 of his 19 games in charge, he was sacked after less than three months in the role in February 2021 with the club only sitting outside the relegation zone in League One on goal difference.

Tisdale has since had a spell as an advisor at Colchester United and a brief stint as manager of Stevenage.

5 John Ward

After previously managing the club between August 1993 and May 1996, Ward returned for a second spell in charge of Rovers in December 2012, replacing McGhee.

Ward took over with the club sitting second bottom of the League Two table, but he improved the Gas' fortunes significantly, leading them to a 14th-placed finish.

However, his side could not maintain their form the following season, and with Rovers again struggling towards the bottom of the table, he was replaced as manager by his assistant Darrell Clarke, moving to the role of Director of Football.

The 72-year-old was sacked as Director of Football after just 41 days in the role in May 2014 following the club's relegation to the National League.

4 Ben Garner

Having previously spent time as a coach at Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion and AIK, Garner was handed his first managerial role at the Memorial Stadium in December 2019, replacing Graham Coughlin after his departure to Mansfield Town.

The Gas finished 14th under Garner in the curtailed 2019-20 season, but after a poor start to the following campaign, he was sacked in November 2020 with his side heading towards the League One relegation zone.

Garner won nine of his 36 games in charge of Rovers, drawing 10 and losing 17, giving him a win percentage of just 25%.

The 43-year-old has gone on to manage Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic and Colchester United, and he is currently out of work after being sacked by the latter in October.

3 Graham Coughlan

Coughlan was appointed caretaker manager of Rovers in December 2018 after the departure of Darrell Clarke before being handed the role on a permanent basis the following month.

The 48-year-old successfully led Gas to League One survival, and his side enjoyed an outstanding start to the following season, but despite sitting fourth in the table, Coughlan left the club in December 2019 to make the move to League Two side Mansfield.

Coughlan won 25, drew 18 and lost 13 of his 56 games in charge of Rovers, but he could not replicate that success at the One Call Stadium, and he was dismissed by the Stags in October 2020.

The Irishman is currently in charge of Newport County, and he led the Exiles to a 15th-placed finish in League Two last season.

2 Joey Barton

Barton arrived at the Memorial Stadium in February 2021, becoming the club's third manager of the season when he replaced Tisdale.

The 41-year-old was unable to keep the Gas in League One in the 2021-22 season, but he led the club to an immediate return to the third tier the following campaign, beating Northampton Town to third place in League Two after an incredible 7-0 win over Scunthorpe United on the final day.

It was a positive first season back in League One for Rovers last term, and Barton will be hoping to improve on their 17th-placed finish in the year ahead.

1 Darrell Clarke

Clarke joined Rovers as assistant manager in June 2013 before being promoted to the top job in March 2014.

The 45-year-old could not prevent the Gas' relegation to the National League in the 2013-14 season, but he guided the club to an instant return to the Football League via the play-offs the following campaign.

Clarke led his side to back-to-back promotions as they finished third in their first season back in League Two, and he attracted interest from other clubs, turning down the opportunity to take over at Championship side Leeds United in May 2016.

With Rovers struggling in League One, Clarke left the club in December 2018, departing after winning 104, drawing 56 and losing 86 of his 246 games in charge.