Assistant of Turkey national team Buruk, who served as Administrative Coordinator of the Turkey national team during the
Guus Hiddink era, became assistant coach in November 2011 following Abdullah Avcı’s appointment as head coach.
Elazığspor In August 2013, after
Abdullah Avcı resigned, Buruk left his position with the national team. On 30 October 2013, he signed a two-year contract with
Elazığspor. Starting his managerial role in the 10th week of the league, this was Buruk’s first managerial experience. However, after the team was relegated, he resigned on 2 June 2014.
Gaziantepspor In the 2014–15 season, Buruk signed a three-year contract with
Gaziantepspor. After finishing the season in mid-table, he terminated his contract by mutual agreement due to disagreements about the next season.
Sivasspor On 26 October 2015, Buruk signed a one-year contract with
Sivasspor after
Sergen Yalçın vacated the managerial role. Starting in the 10th week, Buruk resigned after achieving 2 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws in 11 matches.
Göztepe On 1 June 2016, Buruk was appointed the head coach of
Göztepe, a club competing in the
TFF 1. Lig, Turkey's second-tier football league. He signed a three-year contract with the club, aiming to lead them back to the
Süper Lig after a prolonged absence. During the 2016–17 season, Buruk managed the team for 33 matches, achieving 15 wins, 7 draws, and 11 losses, resulting in an average of 1.58 points per game. Despite a promising start, the team experienced a series of inconsistent performances, leading to a decline in form. Consequently, Buruk resigned from his position on 22 March 2017, prior to the season's conclusion. Following his departure, Göztepe went on to secure promotion to the Süper Lig via the playoffs at the end of the season.
Akhisarspor On 28 March 2017, Buruk was appointed as the manager of
Akhisarspor, signing a 1.5-year contract to succeed
Tolunay Kafkas. At the time of his arrival, the club was embroiled in a relegation battle, sitting in 14th place and only one point above the drop zone. Buruk orchestrated an immediate turnaround, leading the team to seven victories in their final nine league matches of the 2016–17 season, ultimately securing a 7th-place finish. The 2017–18 season marked the most successful period in the club's history under Buruk's leadership. While maintaining a stable mid-table position in the
Süper Lig, the team embarked on a historic run in the
Turkish Cup. In the semi-finals, Akhisarspor achieved a major upset by eliminating
Galatasaray; after losing the first leg 2–1 at home, Buruk's side secured a 3–1 victory at the
Türk Telekom Stadium to advance on aggregate. On 10 May 2018, Buruk guided Akhisarspor to their first-ever major trophy by defeating
Fenerbahçe 3–2 in the final held in
Diyarbakır. Goals from Miguel Lopes, Abdoul Sissoko, and Hélder Barbosa secured the title and earned the club direct qualification for the
2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stages. Despite these achievements, Buruk officially parted ways with the club on 14 June 2018. The departure followed a breakdown in negotiations regarding a contract extension; reports indicated that Buruk sought a significant salary increase and guarantees regarding the transfer budget for the upcoming European campaign, which the club's board declined to meet.
Rizespor On 19 September 2018, Buruk was appointed the head coach of
Çaykur Rizespor following the departure of
İbrahim Üzülmez. Under his management, the team managed to avoid relegation in the
2018–19 Super League season, showcasing an impressive improvement in form during the second half of the season. On 28 May 2019, Buruk announced his departure from Çaykur Rizespor, citing personal reasons and expressing gratitude for his time at the club. In a heartfelt message shared via Instagram, Buruk thanked the club, players, and supporters for their trust and support, describing his decision to leave as difficult but necessary.
İstanbul Başakşehir On 11 June 2019, Buruk was appointed head coach of
İstanbul Başakşehir following the departure of Abdullah Avcı. In the 2019–20 season, Başakşehir adopted the slogan “New Vision, Same Goal.” After being eliminated by
Olympiacos in the
2019–20 UEFA Champions League play-off, the team competed in the
2019–20 UEFA Europa League, where they were placed in Group J alongside
Roma,
Borussia Mönchengladbach, and
Wolfsberger AC. Despite an initial 4–0 loss to Roma, Başakşehir topped the group with notable wins, including a 3–0 victory over Wolfsberg and a dramatic 2–1 away win against Borussia Mönchengladbach to secure first place. In the Round of 32, Başakşehir faced
Sporting CP. After losing the first leg 3–1 in Lisbon, Başakşehir mounted a surprising comeback in the second leg in Istanbul, defeating Sporting CP 4–1 after extra time, thanks to a last-minute goal by
Edin Višća, to progress 5–4 on aggregate. This victory was seen as a remarkable achievement for the club in European competition. In the Round of 16, Başakşehir played
Copenhagen. They won the first leg 1–0 in Istanbul with a penalty goal from Edin Višća. However, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, all second-leg matches, originally scheduled for 19 March 2020, were postponed indefinitely. When the competition resumed in August, the second leg in Copenhagen saw Başakşehir lose 3–0, resulting in their elimination with a 3–1 aggregate defeat. On 19 July 2020, Başakşehir were crowned champions of the
Süper Lig for the first time in the club’s history under Buruk’s management. They became only the sixth club in the competition’s history to win the league title and the fourth club from Istanbul to do so. Following their domestic success, Başakşehir qualified directly for the group stage of the
2020–21 UEFA Champions League. They were placed in Group H alongside
Paris Saint-Germain,
RB Leipzig, and
Manchester United. Despite finishing fourth in the group, Başakşehir secured a historic 2–1 home victory against Manchester United, with goals from
Demba Ba and Edin Višća. This win marked a significant milestone for the club. Buruk mutually terminated his contract with Başakşehir on 29 January 2021, during the 2020–21 season, after a challenging campaign.
Galatasaray 2022–23 season On 22 June 2022, Buruk returned to
Galatasaray, this time as head coach. He signed a two-year contract with an additional option for one more year. In his debut season, Buruk guided Galatasaray to a record-breaking 14 consecutive league wins, the longest winning streak in the club’s history. Under his management, the team showcased dominant performances throughout the season, highlighted by derby victories and consistent defensive solidity. Galatasaray secured the
2022–23 Super League title two weeks before the end of the season, marking Buruk’s second league championship as a manager and the club’s 23rd overall. The team also finished the season with the best attacking and defensive records, scoring 83 goals and conceding just 27 across 36 matches. Additionally, Buruk’s tactical approach was praised for reviving the team’s attacking identity and incorporating young talents into the squad. His success in his first season set the foundation for Galatasaray's ambitions to compete both domestically and in European competitions.
2023–24 season In the
2023–24 season,
Galatasaray qualified for the group stage of the
UEFA Champions League by progressing through three preliminary rounds. However, Galatasaray competed in the UEFA Champions League and finished third in Group A, which included
Bayern Munich,
Copenhagen, and
Manchester United. Highlights included a dramatic 3–2 victory over Manchester United at
Old Trafford and a thrilling 3–3 draw in Istanbul. Their group stage performance secured them a place in the
UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs. In the Europa League, Galatasaray faced
Sparta Prague in the knockout round play-offs. Despite winning the first leg 3–2 at home, they suffered a 4–1 defeat in the second leg, resulting in a 6–4 aggregate loss and elimination. and moved to the UEFA Europa League, where their European journey ended in the round of 16 playoffs. In December 2023, the Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and
Fenerbahçe, scheduled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was canceled due to a dispute over the display of slogans and imagery related to
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. Both teams intended to honor Atatürk with specific banners and T-shirts considering the timing of the match, which was the centennial of the
Turkish Republic, but Saudi authorities prohibited these displays, leading the clubs to refuse participation and the match was rescheduled to April. On 12 April 2024, Galatasaray finally faced their arch-rivals Fenerbahçe in
Şanlıurfa for the
2023 Turkish Super Cup final. However, Fenerbahçe had fielded their Under-19 team as a form of protest of Turkish Football Federation, citing "unjust treatment". Just 50 seconds into the game, Galatasaray’s
Mauro Icardi scored, putting his team ahead 1-0. Following this early goal, Fenerbahçe’s young players, acting on instructions from their technical staff, left the field, leading to the match being abandoned. As a result, the match was awarded to Galatasaray with a default 3–0 victory, and they were crowned
Turkish Super Cup champions. In the highly anticipated derby match against Fenerbahçe during the 37th week, Galatasaray had the opportunity to secure the league title. However, the team suffered a disappointing 1–0 defeat in front of their home crowd at the
Rams Park. This loss delayed their chance to celebrate the championship and added pressure going into the final matchday. Despite the setback, Galatasaray bounced back in the final week of the season with a dominant 3–1 away victory against
Konyaspor on 26 May 2024. With this win, the team clinched the
2023–24 Süper Lig title, their second consecutive league championship under Buruk. This victory also marked Galatasaray's record-breaking 24th
Süper Lig title, solidifying their status as Turkey’s most successful club in the league. During the season, Galatasaray and Okan Buruk broke several league, club and personal records, including the most points won in a season (102) and most consecutive wins in a season (17).
2024–25 season On 7 June 2024, ahead of the
2024–25 season season Buruk signed a new two-year contract with
Galatasaray, extending his tenure with the club. On 3 August 2024, Galatasaray faced their rivals
Beşiktaş in the
2024 Turkish Super Cup final. Despite entering the match as favorites, Galatasaray suffered a heavy 5–0 defeat at the
Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. This result marked one of the club’s most significant losses in a domestic final. Just weeks later, Galatasaray’s bid to qualify for the
2024–25 UEFA Champions League group stage ended in disappointment when they faced
Young Boys in the play-off round. In the first leg on 21 August 2024, Galatasaray suffered a 3–2 defeat. In the second leg on 27 August 2024, Galatasaray lost 1–0 at the
Rams Park in Istanbul and were eliminated on a 4–2 aggregate. Despite early criticism following their heavy defeat to Beşiktaş and elimination from the Champions League, Galatasaray remained focused on their domestic campaign under Buruk. The setbacks served as motivation for the team to recover in the ongoing
Süper Lig season. On 21 September 2024, Galatasaray faced arch-rivals
Fenerbahçe in the first
derby of the
2024–25 season at the
Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in
Istanbul. This match also marked the first derby for Fenerbahçe’s new manager,
José Mourinho. Galatasaray delivered a commanding performance, defeating Fenerbahçe 3–1 in front of 44,514 spectators. Despite a challenging start to the 2024–25 season, Galatasaray ended the first half on a high note, particularly with their strong performances in the
Europa League league phase. Domestically, they bounced back with consistent performances, including a record-breaking streak of 15 consecutive away wins, continuing into the 2024–25 season. In the second half of the season, Galatasaray suffered setbacks including the elimination from
Europe League and the 0–0 home draw against title rivals Fenerbahçe, although they continue to lead the race with a six-point advantage. On 2 April 2025, Buruk's nose was grabbed by Mourinho after Fenerbahçe lost 2–1 in the quarter-final at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul. Despite losing their unbeaten streak in the Süper Lig following a defeat to Beşiktaş, Galatasaray responded strongly with a series of successful results and maintained their position at the top of the standings. On 14 May 2025, they defeated
Trabzonspor 3–0 in the final of the
Turkish Cup, securing the cup. Just days later, on 18 May 2025, Galatasaray clinched the Süper Lig title with a victory against
Kayserispor, securing the championship with two matches to spare. With this triumph, Galatasaray were crowned Süper Lig champions for the third consecutive season.
2025–26 season Buruk entered the 2025–26 season following Galatasaray's third consecutive league title. In July 2025, the club completed the permanent signing of
Victor Osimhen for a Turkish record fee of €75 million, a move heavily advocated for by Buruk to strengthen the squad for European competition. Domestically, Galatasaray maintained their position at the top of the
Süper Lig standings throughout the first half of the campaign. In December 2025,
Mauro Icardi surpassed
Gheorghe Hagi's record for the most league goals scored by a foreign player in the club's history during a match against
Kasımpaşa. In the
2025–26 UEFA Champions League league phase, Buruk's side achieved several landmark results that underscored the club's resurgence on the continental stage. Galatasaray recorded a 2–1 victory over
Liverpool at the
Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi, a match characterized by Buruk's high-pressing system, and secured a dominant 3–0 away win against
AFC Ajax at the
Johan Cruyff Arena. However, the campaign also featured a narrow 1–0 home loss to
Union Saint-Gilloise and a hard-fought 1–1 draw against
Atlético Madrid at the
Rams Park. Buruk led Galatasaray to the Round of 16 for the first time since the 2013–14 season. In February 2026, the team eliminated
Juventus in the knockout play-off round with a 7–5 aggregate score. After securing a 5–2 victory in the first leg at the
Rams Park, Galatasaray progressed despite a 3–2 loss in extra time during the return leg in Turin on 25 February. Despite reports in late 2025 suggesting a contract extension until 2028 was imminent, President
Dursun Özbek stated on 20 February 2026 that the club would evaluate Buruk's future at the end of the season, as his current deal was set to expire in June. ==Personal life==