Régis Le Bris


Régis Le Bris is a French professional football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Premier League club Sunderland.
Fandom football:Régis_Le_Bris

Club career

Le Bris grew up in Plonéour-Lanvern, a commune in the west of Brittany. He first began playing youth football for local side US Plonéour, before joining AS Ergué-Armel at the age of 12, and later Quimper.
In 1991, he joined the youth ranks of Rennes, where he would play primarily with the B team, but with whom he would also make his senior debut in 1994 and sign his first professional contract at the age of 21. Le Bris made a total of 31 Division 1 appearances for Rennes, across five seasons with the first team.
In April 1999, despite still having two years left on his contract at Rennes, Le Bris opted to join nearby Division 2 side Laval, signing a three-year deal with the club and joining up with previous teammates Ulrich Le Pen and Mickaël Buzaré. Le Bris struggled for consistent game time at Laval, only making a total of 52 league appearances across three seasons with the club, though it was there that he would meet future friend and colleague Franck Haise.
Le Bris played his last professional football with Belgian second division side KSK Ronse, retiring in 2003 to focus on youth coaching.

International career

Le Bris played in multiple different France youth representative sides, including representing the France under-16 team at the 1991 Montaigu Tournament.

Managerial career

Rennes and Lorient

Le Bris became a certified sports coach in 2004, and started his managerial career as a youth coach for Wasquehal, before joining the youth sector of Rennes in the same role. During his stint with the club's under-19 squad, he led the team to the victory of the Championnat National U19 in 2007, before winning the Coupe Gambardella the following year.
In July 2012, after rejecting an offer to renew his contract with Rennes, Le Bris was appointed as the head of youth development at Lorient. He also served as the coach of the under-17 squad, with whom he would win the Championnat National U17 with in 2015, before being appointed as the manager of the club's reserve team later the same year. While serving in the role, he coached several footballers who would go on to play for the first team, including Mattéo Guendouzi, Illan Meslier, Alexis Claude-Maurice and Enzo Le Fée.
In May 2022, Le Bris obtained a ; on 27 June of the same year, he was appointed as the head coach of Lorient's first team, signing a three-year contract. In his first season at the club, he led the team to a tenth-place finish in Ligue 1; in March 2023, he extended his contract with Lorient until 2027. Following their relegation to the Ligue 2 at the end of the 2023–24 campaign, Le Bris officially left the club by mutual consent on 22 June 2024.

Sunderland

On 22 June 2024, it was announced that Le Bris would be appointed as the head coach of EFL Championship club Sunderland on 1 July, signing a three-year contract in the process. He made a dream start to his time in charge of the club, having a 100% record across the first month of the season, scoring ten goals and conceding only one, being awarded the EFL Championship Manager of the Month for August. Le Bris ultimately guided Sunderland back to the Premier League after an eight year absence, winning the play-off final 2–1 against Sheffield United on 24 May 2025.

Personal life

Le Bris is the brother of fellow former footballer Benoît Le Bris, as well as the uncle of Théo Le Bris, whom he managed at Lorient.
In 2006, he obtained a doctorate in sport physiology and biomechanics at Rennes 2 University, having presented a study on accelerometer-based running as his thesis. He graduated with a diplôme universitaire in the mental training of high-level athletes, from the same university in 2010.

Honours

Sunderland
Individual