Former Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle will be appointed as Championship Wigan's new boss on a 12-month rolling contract. "I have agreed a deal in principle with Owen and his agent is now with our chief executive to finalise the deal," Latics chairman Dave Whelan told BBC Sport. "But as far as I'm concerned, we have sorted it and I hope the rest will be sorted in the next hour.
"I've told him returning to the Premier League is the total and utter priority. It's fantastic that we are in Europe but that comes second and he knows that the Premier League is where we have to be.
"It's been no easy task but Owen has shown enthusiasm and passion from the moment I met him. He's been there and done it with Burnley.
"He wasn't so successful at Bolton but he had a lot of injuries and bad luck. People forget that. You need luck on times but he's certainly got the passion, energy and enthusiasm I was looking for."