Over a dozen different coaches have taken the Hull FC hotseat in the Super League era.
Promoted to Super League ahead of the 1998 season, Hull FC have had an up-and-down time in their 28 years in the top-flight competition to date.
From a nervous 1999 campaign and threat of oblivion to the bottom four, play-off finishes, and a Grand Final berth, Hull’s fortunes have changed throughout, with ten different permanent head coaches seeing out their time in the summer era so far.
John Cartwright is the latest of those coaches and, in his first year at the club, certainly steered the ship onto an upward trajectory once again after a torrid 2024. The goal now is to keep evolving in 2026, with a play-off finish the minimum target.
But how does each coach compare since 1998, and who has been the most successful? Here, Hull Live ranks all 10 permanent coaches in the Super League era based on their win percentages at the club.
10th, Peter Walsh: 1998-99, 28%
Games 39 – Won 11 – Lost 28
With no money at the club and a plethora of off-field issues, it was always going to be a tough task for whoever followed Phil Sigsworth as Hull FC’s head coach. That’s exactly how it turned out for Peter Walsh. He steered Hull to safety as a promoted outfit with a 9th-place finish in 1998 before parting ways with the club after a poor run of results during the 1999 season.
9th, Tony Smith: 2023-2024, 29%
Games 37 – Won 12 – Drew – Lost 25
Arriving in September 2022, Tony Smith was sacked just eight games into the 2024 season after a poor start. It was also a poor start to 2023, the year before, but Hull did respond mid-season with eight wins from a dozen games. Unfortunately, they dropped off again at the end of the year, with such form continuing into the new season, a reality that saw the club decide to part company and seek a new direction.
8th, Brett Hodgson: 2021-22, 41%
Games 53 – Won 22 – Drew 1 – Lost 30
Hull showed some promise at the start of both of Brett Hodgson’s years in charge, but ultimately, they were undone by two second-half-of-the-season collapses. Things got pretty toxic towards the end of 2022, and that saw his departure confirmed by the club after disappointing 8th- and 9th-place finishes.
7th, Richard Agar: 2006 & 2008-11, 46%
Games 108 – Won 50 – Drew 1 – Lost 57
After becoming a top side in the early to mid-2000s, Hull struggled to maintain that grip under Richard Agar, and he left the club at the end of the 2011 season, with Adam Pearson, who purchased the club a couple of months earlier in July, going in his own direction. Still, Agar did achieve two play-off finishes in 2010 and 2011 and helped Peter Sharp stamp his mark on the way to reaching Old Trafford in 2006.
5th (joint), John Cartwright, 2025-Present, 50%
Games 30 – Won 15 – Drew 1 – Lost 14
John Cartwright certainly got Hull going again in his first season in charge in 2025, especially compared to the lows of the last three years. He restored pride to the club, earned respect, and brought the squad together, finishing seventh, the club’s highest in five years. The challenge now is to kick on in 2026 and play finals rugby league once again.
5th (joint), Lee Radford: 2014-2020, 50%
Games 202 – Won 101 – Drew 3 – Lost 98
A former player with the club, Lee Radford will always be remembered as the Hull FC coach who finally won at Wembley. Those two Challenge Cup wins are immortalised, while Radford also did the business with two Super League third-place finishes in 2016 and 2017. He also finished in the top eight in 2015 and 2018, while missing out on the finals in the 2014 and 2019 seasons. He is the club’s longest-serving coach in the Super League era, departing in 2020 after over six years in charge.
4th, Peter Gentle: 2012-13, 53%
Games 64 – Won 34 – Drew 4 – Lost 26
Arriving from Australia, Peter Gentle was Adam Pearson’s first coaching appointment, and he quickly got accustomed to his new role. He led Hull to two sixth-place finishes in 2012 and 2013. However, his undoing came in a play-off eliminator at Huddersfield Giants, with Hull losing 76-18 in his final game.
2nd (joint), Peter Sharp: 2006-08, 55%
Games 68 – Won 38 – Drew 3 – Lost 27
Taking over from John Kear, Peter Sharp made an immediate impression. He helped orchestrate a 13-game winning run, with Hull reaching Old Trafford in 2006 after a second-place finish, their highest in Super League to date. He also finished fourth in 2007 before leaving the club in 2008.
2nd (joint), John Kear: 2005-06, 55%
Games 43 – Won 24 – Drew 2 – Lost 17
After coaching Sheffield Eagles to an unlikely Challenge Cup win in 1998, John Kear did it all again with Hull FC in 2005, beating Leeds Rhinos 25-24 in Cardiff. He also took the side to fifth place in Super League before the season ended at Bradford with a 71-0 defeat. He left the club in 2006.
1st, Shaun McRae: 2000-04, 56%
Games 158 – Won 89 – Drew 8 – Lost 61
Taking charge at the turn of the new millennium, ‘Bomber’ had a successful spell in charge of Hull FC, leading them to a third-place finish and first-ever Super League play-off games in 2001, before further finals finishes came in 2002 and 2004. He returned to the club in the 2010s as Director of Rugby before being replaced by Motu Tony.