Ranking Coventry City's 7 best managers based on PPG - Roland Nilsson = 3rd | OneFootball

Highlights

It has been another decent season for Coventry City in the Championship.

The Sky Blues were beaten on penalties by Luton Town in last season's play-off final, and after losing star duo Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer in the summer, they made a slow start to the campaign.

However, Coventry were one of the form teams in the division in the second half of the season, and while they missed out on the top six as they finished ninth in the table, they can reflect positively on another year of progress.

The Sky Blues also enjoyed an excellent FA Cup run, and they produced a remarkable comeback to recover from 3-0 down against Manchester United in the semi-final to take the game to extra time, but the Red Devils won on penalties.

Mark Robins has done an outstanding job since returning for a second spell in charge at the CBS Arena in March 2017, establishing himself as one of the club's best ever managers.

As Coventry continue their remarkable journey under Robins, we looked at where the 54-year-old ranks in the club's top seven managers of all time, based on their points per game rate.

All statistics are according to Transfermarkt, and this list only includes managers who have taken charge of at least 25 games.

7 John Sillett - 1.33 PPG

Sillett will forever be regarded by Coventry supporters as one of their greatest ever managers.

His long association with the Sky Blues began when he spent four years at the club as a player between 1962 and 1966, and he returned to join Jimmy Hill's coaching staff in 1979.

Sillett effectively became joint-manager alongside George Curtis in 1986, and after the pair saved Coventry from relegation from the First Division in the 1986-87 season, they led the club to victory in the FA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur the following year.

Curtis stepped aside following the cup success, and Sillett became sole manager, guiding the Sky Blues to 10th, sixth and 12th-placed finishes respectively over the next three seasons before being sacked early in the 1990-91 campaign.

Sillett sadly passed away at the age of 85 in November 2021, and there are plans to build a statue of him and Curtis outside the CBS Arena.

6 Tony Mowbray - 1.33 PPG

Mowbray achieved the same points per game as Sillett, and Coventry supporters will surely reflect on what could have been during his tenure.

The 60-year-old arrived at the CBS Arena in March 2015, and he successfully kept the club in League One on the final day of the 2015-16 season.

Following Mowbray's summer rebuild, the Sky Blues were among the promotion contenders the following season, and they sat top of the table in late November, but a significant decline in form saw them finish eighth.

The poor form continued into the 2016-17 season, and Mowbray resigned after a run of 10 games without a win at the start of the campaign, departing having won 26, drawn 24 and lost 26 of his 76 games in charge.

5 Iain Dowie - 1.39 PPG

Dowie took over as Coventry manager in February 2007, and he made a strong start to life in the role, going unbeaten in his first six games.

However, the Sky Blues would then lose five of their final seven games of the 2006-07 campaign to finish 17th in the Championship, and they remained inconsistent the following season.

Dowie was linked with the Leicester City job on multiple occasions during the 2007-08 season, and he was eventually sacked by Coventry in February 2008 due to differences with the club's board.

The 59-year-old won 20, drew eight and lost 21 of his 49 games in charge.

4 Mark Robins (second spell) - 1.48 PPG

Robins returned for a second spell in charge of Coventry in March 2017 with the club sitting in the League One relegation zone, and while he was unable to prevent their relegation to League Two, the progress since then has been remarkable.

The Sky Blues have gone from the fourth tier to the brink of the Premier League under Robins' guidance, and the club is unrecognisable to the one he inherited over seven years ago.

After missing out on the play-offs this season, Coventry look well-placed to challenge for promotion next term if they can keep hold of their key players such as Ben Sheaf, Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, and Robins is likely to be backed in the transfer market this summer by owner Doug King.

Robins has won 148, drawn 103 and lost 119 of his 370 games in charge of the Sky Blues during his second spell so far, and with three years left on his contract, there is plenty more that he can achieve at the club.

3 Roland Nilsson - 1.51 PPG

After Gordon Strachan resigned early in the 2001-02 season, Coventry appointed Nilsson in a player-caretaker manager role, despite the fact he had no previous managerial experience.

Nilsson was handed the permanent job after winning five and drawing one of his six games as caretaker, but he could not maintain his side's promotion push, and he was sacked in April 2002 with just one game of the season remaining.

The 60-year-old's stint at the helm may have been brief, but his impressive points per game rate of 1.51 ranks him statistically among the club's best managers.

2 George Curtis - 1.63 PPG

Curtis spent 14 years with Coventry during his playing career before departing for Aston Villa in 1969, but that would not be the end of his association with the Sky Blues.

He returned to Coventry as commercial manager in 1972, and he went on to hold a number of posts in the boardroom before taking over as manager alongside Sillett in April 1986 after Don Mackay's exit.

The pair kept the Sky Blues in the First Division before leading them to a 10th-placed finish and FA Cup glory the following season, but Curtis decided to step down from his management role after the cup victory, returning to his former position as managing director.

He would remain in that role until his retirement in May 1994, and he became the club's life president in 2012.

Curtis passed away at the age of 82 in July 2021, but he will never be forgotten by Coventry supporters.

1 Mark Robins (first spell) - 1.79 PPG

Robins first arrived at Coventry in September 2012, replacing Andy Thorn following the club's poor start to life back in League One.

The Sky Blues had not won a game prior to Robins' appointment, but he inspired a remarkable turnaround in fortunes to move his side into play-off contention, while he also led the club to the area finals of the EFL Trophy, where they were beaten by Crewe Alexandra.

To the disappointment of many Coventry supporters, Robins decided to leave the club to take over at Huddersfield Town in February 2013, departing after winning 17, drawing six and losing 10 of his 33 games in charge.

Robins was sacked by the Terriers in August 2014, and after a disappointing stint with Scunthorpe United, he returned for a second spell at Coventry in March 2017.

There is no doubt that Robins' second spell at the CBS Arena has been more successful, but his impressive record during his first stint makes him the club's best manager based on points per game.