Chris Fagan (coach)

Christian Fagan (born 23 June 1961) is an Australian rules football coach and former player, currently serving as the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). Fagan is one of the few VFL/AFL coaches to have never played at the elite level, building his career through coaching and football administration roles. Fagan's playing career took place entirely in his home state of Tasmania, where he played over 260 games as a midfielder and forward pocket. His career spanned from 1978 to 1990 across various clubs. Fagan began his coaching career with a stint as the inaugural coach of the Tassie Mariners U18 team (1995–1997), a role that launched numerous young players into the AFL. After joining Melbourne in 1998 as reserves coach, he became an assistant coach and later the General Manager of Football Operations. At Hawthorn, Fagan served as Head of Coaching and Development (2008–2013) and General Manager of Football Operations (2013–2016). He was a key figure in the football department that oversaw the Hawks' four premiership victories. Fagan was appointed senior coach of the Brisbane Lions in October 2016, making him the oldest coach to debut in AFL history at 55. He successfully oversaw a rebuild of the playing list, guiding the Lions to their first finals appearance since 2009 in the 2019 season. He led the Lions to back-to-back premierships in the 2024 and 2025 AFL seasons and is a three-time winner of the Coach of the Year (2019, 2024, 2025), a record for the award.