Assistant/coach to Manager

[Unseen work]

What’s everyone’s thoughts with taking Managers on their first job from a coaching/assistant position?

David Gray would be the obvious one for having done the interim role numerous times and then there was John Kennedy who we apparently wanted a couple of times

Seems to have worked quite well for a couple of Scottish teams like Hearts with Naismith and Robson at Aberdeen (however that turned pretty quick)

Further afield you’ve got arteta going from city to Arsenal.

How would people feel about Gray one day taking over? Would it have to be interim first to see how he does and then get it, or would he have to go away from Hibs and ‘prove himself’ first.

I think for Robson, Naismith etc a lot comes down to knowing the league and players available

[Jones28]

If it was ever going to happen now would be the time.

The last game he managed we pumped Aberdeen away, not something that happens often. He has taken on the role several times and from his point of view it would be now or never - if I was in his shoes at least.

I'd be quite happy if Monty was to go and Gray took over until the end of the season with a view to him being auditioned for the position.

However, if he were to be unsuccessful in his stint I don't see any way he could really stay at the club, Ayr sounded him out for the job prior to Brown getting IIRC. He might feel ready to go elsewhere and test himself in the managers role.

[He's here!]

What’s everyone’s thoughts with taking Managers on their first job from a coaching/assistant position?

David Gray would be the obvious one for having done the interim role numerous times and then there was John Kennedy who we apparently wanted a couple of times

Seems to have worked quite well for a couple of Scottish teams like Hearts with Naismith and Robson at Aberdeen (however that turned pretty quick)

Further afield you’ve got arteta going from city to Arsenal.

How would people feel about Gray one day taking over? Would it have to be interim first to see how he does and then get it, or would he have to go away from Hibs and ‘prove himself’ first.

I think for Robson, Naismith etc a lot comes down to knowing the league and players available

Mowbray, Stubbs and Maloney had never been managers in their own right prior to taking the Hibs job so in two of those cases you could certainly say that they benefited from their time as coaches/assistant managers. Maloney now seems to be doing quite well in a tricky role at Wigan, who started the season on -10 points.

Naismith, though it pains me to acknowledge it, appears to have overcome a tricky start and is proving to be a very sound appointment.

David Gray has always performed solidly on the various occasions he's stepped in as caretaker boss for us and I'd be fine with him being given the chance full time.

[The Tubs]

It's the type of risk I'd be up for. Added to that, he comes across as far more pragmatic in his decision making than the current head coach.

[Smartie]

I'd absolutely be open to it, for the right candidate.

David Gray has served a decent apprenticeship now and will have seen an awful lot under our past few managers and also throughout his playing career.

My issue with him having managerial experience before taking the Hibs job is - what sort of experience would be acceptable? We turn our noses up at the likes of Rhys McCabe who have done a superb job at a lower level because they haven't done it at a higher level. If David Gray goes to Ayr and does well, does it really tell us anything we don't already know? If he does it at a higher level, does his stock then become bigger than Hibs very quickly?

I've been impressed by his Hibs teams by and large, he's never taken over in ideal circumstances (goes with the territory) and has had us looking competent. His decision making appears sensible to me, unlike some of the people who have actually been trusted with the job.

There's no way it would ruin any legacy for me either. Stanton, Blackley and Sauzee are still rightly revered and nobody can ever take away what David Gray did for us. Worst case scenario would probably be that he would be a resounding success and go to Rangers tbh.

If he were to get the job, I'd like to think he could hold a constructively critical conversation with those above him about what he needs to be provided with in order to succeed.

[Unseen work]

It's the type of risk I'd be up for. Added to that, he comes across as far more pragmatic in his decision making than the current head coach.

I wonder how the players would be with Gray for example. I’m sure they’d all like and respect him but would be an interesting transition going to the boss who makes the decisions.

Some players might think they get the benefit of the doubt through being pals etc

[Paulie Walnuts]

I wonder how the players would be with Gray for example. I’m sure they’d all like and respect him but would be an interesting transition going to the boss who makes the decisions.

Some players might think they get the benefit of the doubt through being pals etc

Will many of them be pals with him?

Theres very few left that played with him. After that, im not sure anyone will be all that pally with the coaching staff.

[Unseen work]

Will many of them be pals with him?

Theres very few left that played with him. After that, im not sure anyone will be all that pally with the coaching staff.

Yeah hard one to gauge, normally coaches are quite pally with players in my experience, especially when they’re not the manager or assistant.

I could see him being close with a group like Hanlon, Stevenson, Daz, Boyle, Marshall, Cadden, Newell and ALF.

Most coming to end of their career like you say though.

[Smartie]

I wonder how the players would be with Gray for example. I’m sure they’d all like and respect him but would be an interesting transition going to the boss who makes the decisions.

Some players might think they get the benefit of the doubt through being pals etc

It can go one of two ways.

Steven Kenny lost the dressing room at Dunfermline, he was getting ridiculous abuse from some of the senior players there.

What they did was appoint Jim Mcintyre who actually was one of the senior players and he did a decent job there of sifting out the real troublemakers, in spite of some of them being his pals. His job depended on it and he was professional.


It's unprofessional to expect any sort of special treatment from anyone and leads to lose/lose situations. If players were to do what is asked of them then they'd be fine with Gray or anyone else, if they don't then they know what they can expect.

Personally, I don't see it being a problem - especially if his coaching is decent and he already enjoys a decent working relationship with them with the appropriate boundaries.

[Hibee Mac]

I read this title as if David Brent was responding to Gareth in the office.... assistant TO the manager

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[ScottB]

I’d point out Alonso just won the German league, with his previous managerial experience being with kids at Sociedad and Madrid.

Obviously not a realistic option for us, but it illustrates the point, if big clubs, even the biggest, are happy to appoint rookie managers / ex players (that they obviously think can do the job) then why shouldn’t we?

I wonder if the state of reserve football in Scotland is something of a barrier for our ex players specifically? If you look at Alonso, Pep, Zidane etc they all cut their teeth managing B / Youth teams that were part of actual leagues for a year or two before stepping up…

[Billy Whizz]

I’d point out Alonso just won the German league, with his previous managerial experience being with kids at Sociedad and Madrid.

Obviously not a realistic option for us, but it illustrates the point, if big clubs, even the biggest, are happy to appoint rookie managers / ex players (that they obviously think can do the job) then why shouldn’t we?

I wonder if the state of reserve football in Scotland is something of a barrier for our ex players specifically? If you look at Alonso, Pep, Zidane etc they all cut their teeth managing B / Youth teams that were part of actual leagues for a year or two before stepping up…

Nae Badges cut his teeth managing the Hearts B team in the Lowland League

[eastmainsmsh]

Maybe SDG will be a good Manager but it’s a bit risky just now if we did part ways with Monty

[Viva_Palmeiras]

What’s everyone’s thoughts with taking Managers on their first job from a coaching/assistant position?

David Gray would be the obvious one for having done the interim role numerous times and then there was John Kennedy who we apparently wanted a couple of times

Seems to have worked quite well for a couple of Scottish teams like Hearts with Naismith and Robson at Aberdeen (however that turned pretty quick)

Further afield you’ve got arteta going from city to Arsenal.

How would people feel about Gray one day taking over? Would it have to be interim first to see how he does and then get it, or would he have to go away from Hibs and ‘prove himself’ first.

I think for Robson, Naismith etc a lot comes down to knowing the league and players available

As Malcolm MacPherson stated recently in the Hibs Observer, Sir Alex warned of taking on a rookie manager (in a talk he gave). He went against that when he appointed and then sacked Sauzee.

What is it they say about the lessons of history… and yet was it not Sir Alex we sought advice on when we hired Mowbray (a rookie manager). Maybe we need to chap on his door agains…

[Musselbound]

Given how much money Hibs have wasted on hiring and firing managers I would not be opposed to Gray getting a crack at the job. But if we were considering getting rid of Monty at the end of the season and handing over to Gray it might make more sense to do this now and see how Gray does in a few games as caretaker. That doesn't look to be happening so such a scenario looks unlikely to me.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Given how much money Hibs have wasted on hiring and firing managers I would not be opposed to Gray getting a crack at the job. But if we were considering getting rid of Monty at the end of the season and handing over to Gray it might make more sense to do this now and see how Gray does in a few games as caretaker. That doesn't look to be happening so such a scenario looks unlikely to me.

If we can’t get the manager selection right ffs please get the timing of the sacking right - seems to me we tend to sew the seeds of the downfall of subsequent manages by the timing of their appointment with little or no time to prep for a transfer window or preseason. Amateur stuff.

[Mainstandman]

I’d point out Alonso just won the German league, with his previous managerial experience being with kids at Sociedad and Madrid.

Obviously not a realistic option for us, but it illustrates the point, if big clubs, even the biggest, are happy to appoint rookie managers / ex players (that they obviously think can do the job) then why shouldn’t we?

I wonder if the state of reserve football in Scotland is something of a barrier for our ex players specifically? If you look at Alonso, Pep, Zidane etc they all cut their teeth managing B / Youth teams that were part of actual leagues for a year or two before stepping up…

Moriniho was asked about this he said that he’d played for the worlds top teams and been managed by the worlds top managers so had learnt a lot from this.