 Following his departure from Norwich, Hughton became manager of Brighton & Hove Albion midway through the 2014–15 Championship season, securing the club's safety within the division.In the following 2015–16 season, Hughton guided Brighton to an impressive third-placed finish, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League through an inferior goal difference of two goals.Brighton would go one step further in the following season under Hughton's management, earning promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, and returning to the top flight of English football for the first time since 1983.