Joint - superztars

Liverpool has achieved it once, even leading to glory for Coventry City, yet the concept of dual managers remains a unique curiosity in football.

At Lincoln City, however, this approach is seen as the way forward.

Following the departure of League One title-winning head coach Michael Skubala to Bristol City last week, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have been elevated from their assistant roles to take on joint managerial responsibilities.

Joint-managers are uncommon, and history suggests that such setups often face challenges— as seen during the brief partnership of Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans at Liverpool in 1998, or the disappointing spell overseen by Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence at Tottenham earlier in that decade.

Conversely, John Sillett and George Curtis achieved remarkable success together at Coventry, leading the Sky Blues to FA Cup victory in 1987.

For Lincoln, a club with a modest League One budget that hadn’t competed in England’s second tier for over sixty years, last season’s promotion under Skubala exemplified how innovation and a willingness to challenge norms can yield success.

Though bold in its execution, the appointment of Cohen and Shaw is an effort to pave new ground, as stated by Imps’ chief executive Liam Scully.

“We understand there will be skepticism regarding this structure, as it deviates from football norms,” he shared with BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

“We did not embark on this process with the goal of challenging football conventions; that was never the aim.

“However, we also wouldn’t abandon what we believe to be the best solution simply to conform to tradition.”

Both Cohen and Shaw, aged 39, played instrumental roles in Lincoln’s successful promotion in the 2025-26 season, frequently leading training sessions and meetings as assistant coaches.

Scully noted that the trio, including Skubala, “fostered a real collaborative working environment”—sharing duties and working together during a milestone season that concluded with the Imps finishing first with 103 points.

The team at Lincoln recognized that Skubala’s achievements would make him a sought-after manager this summer.

In anticipation, the club’s management succession committee had already begun searching for a successor.

Despite Lincoln made Skubala an improved offer after Bristol City activated a release clause, a discreet search for a replacement was already in progress.

“When a team amasses over 100 points and elevates the club to Championship status after 65 years, it’s easy to predict that attention would be drawn to Michael,” Scully remarked.

“Once the last match of the season concluded, our planning accelerated.

“While the quickness of this decision may appear surprising from the outside, it is a result of the groundwork laid in advance. I also want to emphasize that Chris and Tom surpassed external candidates for this position.”

Not a ‘romantic’ appointment

Although Shaw brings experience from his time as manager at Gainsborough Trinity, Cohen has primarily served as an assistant at clubs like Luton Town, Southampton, and Stoke City.

Cohen’s coaching journey began with a stint as the under-23 manager at Nottingham Forest, the club where he ended his playing career in 2018.

The years of effort both put in under Skubala at the LNER Stadium, along with their contributions to the Imps’ promotion, led club officials to believe that they are the right choice to lead the club into the Championship next season.

“Throughout this process, our primary question has been ‘what is best for Lincoln City?’ This decision transcends individual interests and isn’t guided by sentiment,” Scully explained.

“We approached this seriously, aiming to ensure we assemble the strongest possible team for what will be Lincoln’s first Championship season in over 65 years.”

He stated this appointment represents the “least risky option,” as it fosters “continuity” for the club.

It is the existing working relationship between Cohen and Shaw, along with their deep understanding of Lincoln’s operations, that may be key to their coaching partnership thriving where others have struggled.

“In football today, decisions on the pitch are rarely made solely based on one person’s instinct; they are frequently data-driven and based on planned scenarios,” Scully observed.

“Reviewing our framework over the past 12-15 months, it’s clear that Michael’s strength lay in empowering Chris and Tom to excel in their roles. This appointment closely mirrors that dynamic.

“We didn’t initiate this process to implement something unconventional; rather, we concluded that maintaining much of our previous structure was the best way to move forward.”