Geoff Hampton (born 18 September 1965) is an English former professional football player and manager. He is primarily known for his period as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the late 1990s.
Playing Career Hampton began his football career as a player, starting in the youth ranks at Derby County. A defender, he later played for several clubs including Burnley and Exeter City. His playing career was cut short due to injury, leading him to transition into coaching at a relatively young age.
Managerial Career Hampton's coaching career began within the youth setup at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he joined in 1994. He progressed through the club's coaching ranks, managing the reserve team before being appointed caretaker manager of the first team in May 1998, following the departure of Mark McGhee.
Despite his relative inexperience, Hampton was given the manager's role on a permanent basis in the summer of 1998, making him one of the youngest managers in the Football League at the time. In his first full season (1998–99), he led Wolves to a seventh-place finish in the First Division (then the second tier of English football), narrowly missing out on a play-off spot. His tenure was marked by an emphasis on attacking football and the development of young talent. However, the team's performance declined in the subsequent season, and Hampton was dismissed in December 1999 after a string of poor results.
Following his departure from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hampton had a brief spell as manager of Stoke City in 2000. He subsequently moved into various coaching and administrative roles within football, including positions at Mansfield Town, and has also been involved in youth football development outside of the professional game.