Bolton Wanderers Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Evatt as our new Head Coach.
The 38 year-old arrives at the University of Bolton Stadium following his departure from newly promoted Sky Bet League Two outfit Barrow.
Evatt guided the Cumbrian club to the Vanarama National League title last season which consequently saw them return to the Football League after a 48-year absence.
The former Blackpool central defender, who played in the Premier League for the Tangerines, has signed a contract until the end of the 2022/23 season and will be joined at the Club by his Assistant, Peter Atherton, who played for Wigan Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday, and held a position as a coach at the DW Stadium prior to joining Barrow.
Upon completing his move to Wanderers, Evatt said: ''Bolton Wanderers is a fantastic football club with an incredible history and fanbase and this is a really exciting opportunity for us all.
“Hopefully I can bring a brand and an identity that people will enjoy watching – attacking and scoring goals is what we all want to see.
“We want to be challenging and competing for promotion at the top of the division and to see a packed University of Bolton Stadium.
“The community and town is also very important to me. We will get out there and engage with them and make them proud of Bolton Wanderers.”
Head of Football Operations, Tobias Phoenix added: ‘We are delighted to welcome Ian to Bolton Wanderers Football Club and we are over the moon to get our man.
“We had a very clear idea of how we wanted to shape the future of this fantastic football club on and off the grass and Ian epitomises everything we wanted from a Head Coach.
“We are all excited to get to work in preparation for the new season.”
Chairman of Bolton Wanderers, Sharon Brittan, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to bring Ian on board. I am certain that his style of football will keep us all entertained and he is very enthusiastic about his opportunity to represent the Club in the town and community.
''We have followed a thorough process in identifying Ian as the right person to take us forward on the next stage of our journey and can’t wait for it to get started.”
Photography: Peter Simmons | 5or6.co.uk