Few coaches in Indian Super League (ISL) history have made as big an impact in as little time as Owen Coyle. Whether it was dragging Chennaiyin FC out of the bottom half and into a final in the 2019-20 season or turning Jamshedpur FC into League Shield winners in the 2021-22 campaign, Coyle has built a reputation as the man you call when your club needs a reset.

What sets him apart isn’t just the results. It’s the way he earns the trust - from fans, from players and from clubs who’ve seen him rebuild once and believe he can do it again. His teams are rarely the most expensive or the flashiest on paper, but they’re among the hardest to ignore once the season kicks into gear.

And now, with the Scot still at Chennaiyin FC, Coyle is once again laying down the blueprint. One built on belief, youth and the quiet confidence of someone who knows how to change a team’s story.

Working his magic

When Coyle first arrived at Chennaiyin FC in December 2019, the club was in disarray. Their season had got off to a poor start, with just five points from six games. A season that had promised little was slipping into irrelevance until the Scot walked in, bringing with him not just Premier League experience but a refusal to let their campaign slip away.

What followed was one of the most dramatic turnarounds in ISL history. Chennaiyin FC, a team with no rhythm, suddenly couldn’t stop winning. Striker Nerijus Valskis caught fire, Rafael Crivellaro became the creative heartbeat and Anirudh Thapa flourished under the freedom granted to him. Coyle brought in his own ideas of high pressing, vertical movement, full-backs bombing forward and above all, belief. They went unbeaten in their last eight league games while winning six of them to make a surprise entry into the playoffs.

18 matches, eight league wins and a final later, Chennaiyin FC had gone from bottom feeders to ISL Cup challengers. They may have lost the final to ATK FC, but few were talking about the scoreline. Most were talking about how Coyle made fans believe again.

New team, new challenge

That one season was enough to cement his reputation in Indian football. So it was little surprise when Jamshedpur FC came calling in 2020. A side with promise but not quite the product. In 2020-21, he steered them to a respectable sixth-place finish, just four points off the playoffs, laying the groundwork for what was to come. But it was in 2021-22 that his methods truly exploded. Greg Stewart, a relative unknown in Indian football circles, was handed the keys. Daniel Chima Chukwu, signed mid-season from East Bengal FC, provided firepower. The rest of the squad, from TP Rehenesh in goal to goalscoring winger Ritwik Das, became the unsung heroes of a well-oiled unit.

The Men of Steel were relentless that season. Ten wins in their last 13 league games. Coyle’s team pressed high, countered with precision and outworked everyone in the league. For the first time in their history, they clinched the League Winners Shield. And they didn’t just win it, they earned it with authority. Jamshedpur FC back then set a new record for the most points in a single league season and equalled the record for most wins in a single league season.

Back to the Marina Arena

Yet just when it seemed like his ISL journey might’ve peaked, Coyle made an emotional return to Chennaiyin FC ahead of the 2023-24 season. The club had changed. Players had changed. The positive results had dried up. The club had not made the playoffs since he left. But the moment Coyle stepped back in, there was a shift. Key players like Thapa and Abdenasser El Khayati had moved on, but Coyle refreshed the squad with new faces and brought back Rafael Crivellaro. Fans, who hadn’t had much to cheer for in recent years, sensed a reset.

In his first season back, Chennaiyin FC made it to the playoffs, something they hadn’t managed in four years. It wasn’t always pretty and the squad had its inconsistencies, but there was purpose again. The Marina Arena slowly returned to being a fortress. New signings like Connor Shields and Jordan Murray clicked into gear while Indian players like Aakash Sangwan, Irfan Yadwad and others got the platform they deserved. Seven different Indian players were involved among the goals that season. Coyle trusted them in big moments, gave them responsibilities and let them fail if it meant learning faster.

By the time the season ended with a loss to FC Goa in the Knockout match, the result stung but it wasn’t a failure. Chennaiyin FC had something to build on and the club knew it. In October 2024, mid-season, they offered Coyle a new deal until 2026.

However, the 2024-25 season proved to be a difficult one for the Marina Machans. Chennaiyin FC finished 11th in the table, a far cry from the progress of the season before. New signings struggled to settle, injuries piled up and the team never quite found rhythm. Yet, there were moments that showed this wasn’t a team devoid of quality. Coyle’s side improved their goal tally from the previous season, showed courage on the ball and when they clicked, they could match anyone in the league. Some of their best results came away from home, where the pressure was on.

And despite the tough league position, there were positives. The performances of young Indian players like Irfan Yadwad and Lalrinliana Hnamte gave fans plenty to be excited about. These weren’t just fringe players filling in, they were starters making a real impact. Yadwad, in particular, announced himself with a series of confident displays up front, while Hnamte’s composure in midfield belied his age. The duo went on to make their debuts for the Indian football team. It’s this trust in Indian talent that continues to define Coyle’s coaching in the ISL and Coyle doesn’t just play them, he develops them.

Coyle’s time in India may not have been filled with silverware, but what he has achieved is arguably more valuable, providing his teams with identity and resilience. He helped shift the narrative around Indian football, showing that success could be built on smart recruitment, player development and tactical clarity. From foreign stars to Indian players, many found their best version under Coyle. As one of the longest-serving and most respected head coaches the league has seen, his legacy will be forever etched in the ISL.