David Wagner has clear goals. But standing on the sidelines is no longer part of the former Schalke coach’s plans.
David Wagner no longer has any ambitions to work as a club coach. In an interview with Sport1, the former coach of FC Schalke 04 and Premier League clubs Huddersfield and Norwich said: “I can’t imagine it anymore. Every day is new, exciting, and thrilling now—that wasn’t the case as a coach. I’m doing something new, and I think that’s great.”
Wagner has been in charge of the youth department at Bundesliga club RB Leipzig since July, working very closely with his friend Jürgen Klopp, Red Bull’s global head of football. “At the time, I often asked myself how long I wanted to continue in this coaching job. Then the offer from Norwich came along, which really appealed to me. After being knocked out in the playoff semifinals, I decided to do something new.
One thing was clear to me: being a club coach no longer grabbed me as much as it had in previous years. We lost to Kloppo with Norwich at Anfield Road – and afterwards I sat in the bus and it didn’t affect me, not like it did ten years ago. That’s when I knew I wanted to do something else,” said the 53-year-old. “Things haven’t gone perfectly in Leipzig recently. Now it’s time for change – that’s why I’m here. The setup is outstanding. We want to become the best academy in Germany,” said Wagner, emphasizing: “My big dream is to integrate a player from our academy into the first team on a long-term basis, someone who can play in the Bundesliga for years and take on a real role. That’s a challenge that hasn’t been achieved in over ten years. That’s exactly why I’m here.”
Wagner once celebrated promotion to the Premier League
Wagner began his coaching career after completing the DFB football coaching course in 2007, initially as a youth coach at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. In 2011, he took over as head coach of Borussia Dortmund’s U23 team and achieved promotion to the 3rd division in 2012 – his first major coaching success. In November 2015, Wagner became head coach of English second division club Huddersfield Town.
There he made history: in 2017, he led the team, which was considered a clear underdog, to the Premier League and was named “Premier League Manager of the Month” (August 2017). The following year, Huddersfield sensationally managed to stay in the league under his leadership. Wagner resigned in January 2019.
FC Schalke 04 signed him for the 2019/20 season; he had already won the UEFA Cup with the Royal Blues as a player in 1997. Under his leadership, Schalke had a strong first half of the season, but then suffered a drastic decline: 18 consecutive Bundesliga games without a win led to Wagner’s dismissal in September 2020. In March 2022, the partnership ended due to a lack of sporting success. At the beginning of 2023, he became head coach of English second division club Norwich City, but missed out on promotion to the Premier League and was dismissed in May 2024. Wagner has been head of youth development at RB Leipzig since July 2025.
Milestones in his coaching career include promotion to the Premier League with Huddersfield Town (2017), Premier League survival (2018), promotion to the 3. Liga with Borussia Dortmund II (2012) and Champions League qualification with Young Boys.