The former Wolves defender has an impressive managerial portfolio where he’s earned promotions with Forest Green Rovers and Luton Town, but also enjoyed a very positive start with Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Edwards was named League Two manager of the Season with Forest Green Rovers, which earned him a move to Watford before joining Luton which he guided them to promotion into the Premier League by a playoff final against Coventry City.
His first 11 games in charge of Middlesbrough, they picked up 25 points, with wins over Swansea City, Millwall, Norwich City, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday.
Born in Telford, he started playing in a gold and black shirt in 2004, playing 111 times across four seasons under Mick McCarthy.
He scored his only goal for Wolves in 2008, in a 4-2 defeat to Stoke City.
Edwards was capped 15 times by Wales and enjoyed time at Blackpool where he won promotion to the Premier League as a player and well as a spell at Barnsley.
He made his first steps into coaching with Wolves’ under-18s in 2014 and two years later in October 2016, he took charge of two first-team matches on an interim basis after Walter Zenga’s time at Molineux.
After his first run of senior management with AFC Telford United, Edwards did return to Wolves in order to take over as the under-23s head coach and won a first promotion to the highest level of youth football for the club.
Edwards was granted permission to speak to Wolves after he stood down from duties at Middlesbrough’s game against Birmingham.
In a statement Edwards said: “This has been one of the toughest decisions of my career. In truth, I wouldn’t have considered leaving for Middlesbrough for any other club.
Wolves is special club for me. It’s where I grew as both a player and a coach, it’s still where my family calls home. It has been my dream to come back and these opportunities do not come around often.”
Edwards will be joined at the club by Harry Watling, who will take on the role of assistant head coach.
Watling gained managerial experience at Hartford Athletic in the US and Ebbsfleet United last year. He then joined Edwards at Middlesbrough with more backroom staff to be confirmed in the near future.
After the international break, Edwards will be in charge of Wolves’ next game which is at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday 22nd November.
Jeff Shi stated that “I think the club should reset. Sometimes in the past we tried to renew the old cycle, but at the moment I feel we need to refresh the whole club, the philosophy, but without a new coach, it can’t happen, because he’ll bring his own identity and ideas.
After the takeover in 2016, it’s been almost 10 years, we are at a new chapter and Rob will be a key member for that.”