 The following month, he was appointed first team coach at Second Division club Wigan Athletic.In January 2002, Lee was named as manager of Division One strugglers Walsall, and against all odds kept them clear of relegation for the next two seasons.However, he was sacked in March 2004 after allegedly talking to Plymouth Argyle about the possibility of replacing Paul Sturrock as manager, and his successor Paul Merson was unable to stave off relegation.