Regis Le Bris has already gone down in Sunderland history as the man who took the Black Cats back into the Premier League after an eight-year absence.
The fact that they look set to extend their time in the top-flight means the Frenchman is already enhancing his reputation.
As of January 27th, 2026 he had won 31 of his 76 matches in charge since he moved to the Stadium of Light from Ligue 1 side Lorient in June 2024, where he coincidentally took charge of the same number of games, winning 23 of them.
That is a win rate of 45.5%, and it is worth comparing his statistics with some of the legendary names who have been in charge of the Wearsiders since the club was formed in 1880.
Tom Watson (1889-1896, won 119 of 191 matches; win rate 62.3%)
Sunderland won the old First Division on six occasions and the first three of those came in the space of four years under the stewardship of Tom Watson.
That achievement makes him the most successful manager in the club's history before he left in 1896 to join Liverpool, who he also led to the league title.
In doing so he became the first of only four managers to lead two clubs to the First Division crown - the others being Herbert Chapman, Brian Clough and Kenny Dalglish.
Bill Murray (1939-1957, won 186 of 512 matches; win rate 36.3%)
Bill Murray is a Sunderland manager who is revered not necessarily for what he achieved at the club but more for the years of service he gave the Wearsiders.
The Scotsman played for the Black Cats for 10 seasons, playing his part in the league title success they celebrated in 1936, before he took the managerial helm six months before the outbreak of the Second World War and stayed on for another 18 years.
Bob Stokoe (1972-76 & 1987, won 95 of 206 matches; win rate 46.1%)
Bob Stokoe will be remembered as the man who led Sunderland to their greatest day when they beat mighty Leeds United to win the FA Cup as a Second Division club in 1973.
That has been achieved just twice since and not since West Ham in 1980, while Stokoe also led the Wearsiders to the second-tier crown in 1976 and returned for a caretaker spell in 1987 in which the club was relegated to the Third Division for the first time.
Nevertheless, his achievement on that memorable day at Wembley led to a statue that stands outside the Stadium of Light.
Peter Reid (1995-2002, won 159 of 353 matches; win rate 45%)
Peter Reid is the manager who has shown the greatest staying power at the club in the last 50 years and he took the Black Cats into the Premier League as champions twice, in 1996 and 1999.
The second triumph followed a heart-breaking defeat to Charlton in one of the greatest play-off finals ever seen at Wembley.
The former Everton and Manchester City midfielder was also able to guide the club to two top-seven finishes, helped by the potent strikeforce of Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips.
