Developments after Steve Evans exit pave the way for popular Rotherham United decision | OneFootball

Steve Evans departure and the return of Matt Hamshaw paves the way for Paul Warne's return

Following a 4-0 defeat at home against relegation-threatened Crawley Town, Rotherham United took the initiative to part ways with manager Steve Evans after an underwhelming season cost him his shot at a second spell in the hot seat.

After only 12 months in charge, the reins of Rotherham were handed over to a former Miller coach, Matt Hamshaw. He has already spent a period of 10 years with the club, starting as a development coach and then later becoming first team coach under Paul Warne until he and the rest of Warne’s staff left the club in September 2022.

Hamshaw comes into the hot seat at Rotherham with no prior management experience bar two fixtures in charge of Derby County after Warne’s departure in February 2025, leading them to two draws after a run of seven straight defeats. His appointment with Rotherham is until the end of the season.

The rumours have since started around what Rotherham’s long-term plan is regarding bringing in a new manager. As expected, the return of Hamshaw along with Paul Warne’s goalkeeper coach and former goalkeeper, Andy Warrington, as Assistant Manager has stirred the return of Warne as the manager of Rotherham.

Paul Warne's previous time with the Millers

Warne took charge of almost 300 games with Rotherham, getting promoted from League One three times and relegated from the Championship three times.

His ability to take the Millers up on a small budget was picked up by Derby and, after a strong start to the 2022/2024 Championship season, Warne and his coaching staff left Rotherham to drop a division for Derby, leaving them in eighth place after nine games.

After six years as manager, if Warne was to be reappointed as manager, it would be well received by the majority of Millers fans. Albeit his departure from the club was sudden and greeted with somewhat disdain, there is no quelling that his time with the club created a culture of togetherness, community and suited the Millers DNA.

How Matt Hamshaw can carve the way

Hamshaw is a Rotherham man, born and bred in the town. He has been a Millers fan his entire life. As he says, he can “die a happy man” now he is behind the helm of his boyhood club and instil some of the missing Millers’ DNA previously manufactured by himself and the team of Paul Warne.

Now, with half of that backroom staff back in the dugout, the way has been carved for Warne and former assistant Richie Barker to return to the club they excelled at for six years.

Warne and Barker instilled an honest and passionate culture and community when they first joined the Millers. Playing a style of aggressive, front-footed football which got fans out of their seats is the sort of football that Millers fans have missed since Warne left the club in September 2022.

There is a strong case that Hamshaw has been instilled to set the foundations for Warne to come back in and lead the squad in his style.

However, a case can also be made that Hamshaw now has the capabilities to prove himself as the right man to lead Rotherham in the coming seasons.

Adapting Warne’s successful style and culture whilst being the new man in charge at Rotherham could be the right call from the chairman at this trying time for Rotherham. Hiring a local lad who is highly regarded in the English League circle and is a man who understands the culture and what it takes to win is something that Rotherham could really require around now.

The ideal for many fans would be to see Warne return to manage this underperforming side and try and bring back the days of success to the Millers again.

But there would be many a fan hoping that his coach, Hamshaw, can be the successor to Warne – bringing in an old style with a twist of new ideas could be the catalyst to shoot Rotherham back to their former ways.