Luton Town have appointed Wycombe Wanderers head coach Matt Bloomfield as their new manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
The 40-year-old departs the League One promotion contenders to succeed Rob Edwards at Kenilworth Road.
Edwards, who famously guided Luton to Premier League promotion in 2023, left the club by mutual consent last week as they struggle near the bottom of the Championship.
Currently 20th in the second tier, Luton sit just two places and two points above the relegation zone as they fight to avoid consecutive relegations following their drop from the Premier League after a single season last May.
Bloomfield said it was a “genuine honour and a privilege” to take the helm at The Hatters. “I’m incredibly proud and very, very happy to be here,” he told the club’s website.
Wycombe, who are second in League One, said they they remain focused on a “long-term vision” for the club and “building on this season’s foundations of success”.
“The club is naturally disappointed with Matt’s decision to leave in the middle of the season,” said a statement on Wycombe’s website, external.
“However, we respect his decision to pursue this new chapter in his career. He leaves with the gratitude and best wishes of everyone at Wycombe Wanderers.”
Bloomfield’s assistant coach Richard Thomas, first-team coach Lee Harrison and senior analyst Ben Cirne will join him in making the switch to Luton.
His first game in charge will be at home to Preston North End on Saturday.
Luton are the third club in three different divisions of the English Football League that Bloomfield has taken charge of in less than three years.
The former midfielder retired as a long-serving player at Wycombe in 2022 and moved into coaching with The Chairboys before being appointed as Colchester boss later that same year.
Within months he was back in League One as Gareth Ainsworth’s successor at Wycombe, a club he first signed for in 2003 as a player after being released by Ipswich Town as a teenager.
Luton chief executive Gary Sweet said Luton had “gone above and beyond to compensate Wycombe” to secure Bloomfield and his support staff from Wycombe.
He thanked the third-tier club for their “co-operation in ensuring a swift and smooth transition”.
“Since returning to Wycombe as manager we have been hugely impressed with his work in leading them back towards the top of League One, and especially in how they have done it in such an entertaining way, forging a reputation for front-footed attacking football,” Sweet added.
“We identified Matt’s personal and team-building qualities as the outstanding candidate to fit in with the culture we have long established here at Luton Town.”
Bloomfield expressed his appreciation for the extensive research Luton conducted on him and his managerial record, saying it gave him a “feeling of being wanted” and convinced him that “this was the right move at the right time.”
Although his tenure as Wycombe boss lasted less than two years, his 19 seasons as a player earned him the nickname “Mr. Wycombe.” Bloomfield made 558 appearances for the club and, during the 2021-22 season, took on a dual role as a first-team coach while still playing.
He played a significant role in helping Wycombe achieve three promotions from League Two and was part of the squad that secured their historic promotion to the Championship in the 2019-20 season.
Bloomfield’s managerial career began at Colchester United in September 2022, where he guided the team away from the League Two relegation zone with nine wins in 27 games. In February 2023, he returned to Wycombe as manager following Gareth Ainsworth’s departure to Queens Park Rangers.
During his time in charge, he led Wycombe to their first-ever EFL Trophy final and guided the team to League One promotion contention this season, with an impressive 19-match unbeaten run that ended against Charlton Athletic on December 29.
As Wycombe begins their search for a new manager, a caretaker coaching team comprising development coaches Sam Grace, Harry Hudson, Matty Dye, and Jerome John will oversee training and upcoming fixtures.