He became caretaker manager of Sheffield Wednesday between the sacking of Paul Sturrock and the appointment of Brian Laws in late October and early November 2006 respectively.
[3] He then went on to draw 2–2 with league leaders Newcastle United and lose 2–1 to Crystal Palace in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, both at home.
He developed ties with clubs in northern California and Michigan, and in April 2009 he travelled to Canada to undertake coaching sessions with Victoria Highlanders.
[citation needed] In July 2012, Sean McAuley departed Sheffield Wednesday in order to become the Assistant Manager at Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers.
[11] McAuley ended his first full season as manager with an 18–9–13 record in all competitions, leading Indy Eleven to their first home playoff match in 5 years and their best-ever performance in the U.S. Open Cup, falling in the semi-finals to finalists Sporting Kansas City.