 He took over his first head coaching role at Modena, first serving as a caretaker after Walter Novellino's dismissal in March 2015.He then returned into his previous role as youth coach, only to be reappointed in charge of the first team for the 2016–17 season after the club's relegation to Lega Pro.His first full-time stint as a head coach however turned out to be unsuccessful, and he was removed from managerial duties on 26 November 2016, with Modena deep into relegation zone.