Lincoln City has appointed Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen as joint-head coaches, a unique decision following the departure of Michael Skubala to Bristol City. Skubala had guided the Imps to the League One title with 103 points and promotion to the Championship, the club's first appearance in the second tier in 65 years.
The club opted for the dual-head coach model to maintain continuity and the collaborative strategy that underpinned their successful promotion campaign. Shaw, who joined Lincoln's academy in 2018, and Cohen, in his third spell with the club, had already served as joint-assistant head coaches under Skubala, holding significant responsibilities in training, meetings, and game model development.
Shaw and Cohen had previously discussed the possibility of becoming joint-head coaches themselves should Skubala leave, making the club's proposal a natural progression. "They'd thought of it first," Cohen stated. "So we never had to ask for it. They came to us and said, 'This is the way we see it happening if you two are both happy to do it that way'. And I couldn't think of a better person to be sharing the chaos of being a manager in the Championship with."
The appointment has drawn scrutiny, with some figures in football, like Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony, expressing skepticism about the joint-managerial model. However, Shaw and Cohen maintain that their arrangement is built on years of successful collaboration. "Everybody in the building knows how it works, why it works, and we'll be continuing that," Shaw said. "We'll share duties between us, and, over time, figure out who's better at each of them. But we've known each other for a long time, and we've earned this opportunity to do it together."
Their partnership is characterized by a shared vision and a history of working cohesively. "For the last three seasons, we've been designing a game plan throughout the week," Cohen explained. "We would then go to Michael with it, and he had the final say. By the time we went into the room, we were united. We got there through a load of disagreements and debates, but the main thing was we would live by it on a Saturday."
The club is committed to retaining the core of the promotion-winning squad, believing they are capable of competing in the Championship. While key player Jack Moylan has moved to Cardiff City, the team has made five new signings, including highly-rated Tottenham forward Mason Melia. "We don't want to be one of these clubs that moves up a division and clears the decks to try and get players they think are going to be better," Cohen noted. "These players are capable in the Championship. They got 103 points last year, which should give them an incredible amount of confidence."
Lincoln has already broken their transfer record for defender Andrei Coubis and anticipates further record-breaking signings before the transfer window closes. Despite being widely predicted for relegation, Shaw and Cohen are motivated by the underdog status. "We've seen the script that's written for Lincoln City in the Championship," Shaw commented. "That's a massive motivation for our lads. We're here to prove people wrong every week and this club has done pretty well as the underdog in recent seasons."
The team's unbeaten run extended to 30 matches with a recent Carabao Cup victory. The upcoming Championship season begins with a match against Middlesbrough. "We're hopefully going to win lots of games, but we'll also lose and draw lots," Cohen concluded. "But at the end of every game we have to make sure we've put in a performance that everyone can be proud of."