List of Watford F.C. managers
Watford Football Club are an English association football club, based in Watford, Hertfordshire. As of 2026, the team competes in the EFL Championship, the second-highest level of the English football league system. Four people – Len Goulden, Neil McBain, Javi Gracia and Quique Sánchez Flores – have taken charge of the club on two occasions, while Graham Taylor had three stints as manager of the club.
Managers
| Manager | From | To | M | W | D | L | Win % | Honours and achievements | Notes |
| 253 | 91 | 64 | 98 | 35.97 | Southern League Second Division champions, 1903-04 United League Champions, 1905-06 | ||||
| 484 | 187 | 121 | 176 | 38.64 | Southern League First Division champions, 1914-15 Southern League First Division runners-up, 1919-20 | ||||
| 133 | 49 | 28 | 56 | 36.84 | — | ||||
| 364 | 152 | 77 | 135 | 41.76 | — | ||||
| 114 | 50 | 25 | 39 | 43.86 | Football League Third Division South Cup, 1937 | ||||
| 40 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 27.50 | — | ||||
| 95 | 32 | 29 | 34 | 33.68 | — | ||||
| 56 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 23.21 | — | ||||
| 64 | 21 | 14 | 29 | 32.81 | — | ||||
| 143 | 54 | 41 | 48 | 37.76 | — | ||||
| 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 17.65 | — | ||||
| 17 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 35.29 | — | ||||
| 131 | 44 | 35 | 52 | 33.59 | — | ||||
| 220 | 92 | 50 | 78 | 41.82 | Football League Fourth Division promotion, 1959-60 | ||||
| 68 | 29 | 21 | 18 | 42.65 | — | ||||
| 334 | 132 | 86 | 116 | 39.52 | Football League Third Division champions, 1968-69, FA Cup semi-finalists, 1970, whilst in second flight | ||||
| 97 | 21 | 27 | 49 | 21.65 | — | ||||
| 196 | 73 | 52 | 71 | 37.24 | — | ||||
| 527 | 244 | 124 | 159 | 46.30 | Football League Fourth Division champions, 1977-78 Football League Third Division runners-up, 1978-79 Football League Second Division runners-up, 1981-82 Football League First Division runners-up, 1982-83 FA Cup runners-up, 1983-84 FA Cup semi-finalists, 1987 | ||||
| 28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 25.00 | — | ||||
| 115 | 40 | 36 | 39 | 34.78 | Watford relegated to EFL 2nd division | ||||
| 35 | 7 | 10 | 18 | 20.00 | — | ||||
| 132 | 44 | 37 | 51 | 33.33 | — | ||||
| 139 | 44 | 40 | 55 | 31.65 | — | ||||
| 18 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 27.78 | — | ||||
| 55 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 36.40 | — | ||||
| 202 | 79 | 52 | 71 | 39.11 | Football League Second Division champions, 1997-98 Football League First Division play-off winners, 1998-99 | ||||
| 52 | 20 | 11 | 21 | 38.46 | — | ||||
| 150 | 51 | 39 | 60 | 34.00 | FA Cup semi-finalists, 2003, whilst in second flight | ||||
| 176 | 65 | 51 | 60 | 36.93 | Football League Championship play-off winners, 2005-06, FA Cup semi-finalists, 2007 | ||||
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.00 | — | ||||
| 31 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 41.93 | — | ||||
| 99 | 33 | 25 | 41 | 33.33 | — | ||||
| 49 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 34.69 | — | ||||
| 75 | 33 | 15 | 27 | 44.00 | — | ||||
| 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 41.67 | — | ||||
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25.00 | — | ||||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | — | ||||
| 36 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 58.33 | Runner up in the 2014–15 Football League Championship, promotion to English Premier League | ||||
| /September 2019 | /December 2019 | 44 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 36.36 | Took Watford to the semi-final of the 2015–16 FA Cup | ||
| 41 | 12 | 7 | 22 | 29.27 | — | ||||
| 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 30.77 | — | ||||
| 66 | 25 | 13 | 28 | 37.88 | Took Watford to the final of the 2018–19 FA Cup | ||||
| 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16.67 | — | ||||
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | — | ||||
| 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31.82 | — | ||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | Watford relegated to EFL Championship | ||||
| 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 40.91 | — | ||||
| 36 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 58.33 | Watford promoted to Premier League | ||||
| 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 14.29 | — | ||||
| 18 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 11.10 | Watford relegated to EFL Championship | ||||
| September 2022 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | — | ||||
| March 2023 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | — | ||||
| Chris Wilder | March 2023 | May 2023 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | — | ||
| Valérien Ismaël | May 2023 | March 2024 | 48 | 13 | 16 | 19 | — | ||
| Tom Cleverley | March 2024 | May 2025 | 59 | 20 | 14 | 25 | 0 | — | |
| Paulo Pezzolano | 13 May 2025 | 8 October 2025 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | .00 | — | |
| Javi Gracia | 8 October 2025 | 1 February 2026 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | .00 | — |
Playing records
Fifteen Watford managers played for Watford before or whilst managing them.| Player | Position | Years | Apps | Goals | National team | Notes |
| FW | 69 | 17 |  sortname|Harry|Kent|Harry Kent sort|zz|Nonesortname|Fred|Pagnamsort|zz|Nonesortname|Neil|McBain |