Who will be the next manager of Ross County?
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Ross County are on the lookout for a new manager to lead them into a third consecutive season in the Scottish Premiership, but who are the early favourites for the role?
John Hughes had seen strong levels of support to from the Staggies faithful to continue as boss after leading them to safety, but his departure has given the Dingwall outfit a choice to make.
So who could County turn to instead? We take a look at the top contenders according to McBookie.com
Malky Mackay – evens
Mackay has cut a controversial figure in the past, with an acrimonious departure from Cardiff City leading to the Welsh club sending a document containing allegations of racism, sexism and homophobia to the FA – a move which scuppered his chances of getting appointed at Crystal Palace.
Mackay denied being sexist or homophobic, but an unsuccessful spell in charge of Wigan Athletic that ended in April 2015 remains his last job in club management.
Since then, he has worked for the Scottish FA as performance director, mostly focusing on the development of young players. He had a brief spell as caretaker manager of the national team after Gordon Strachan's departure in October 2017, which was met with criticism because of the allegations in his past – although it is worth noting he received backing from the anti-racism campaign Kick It Out.
Neil McCann – 3–1
The former Scotland international has put his name back on the map as a manager with a mostly successful spell at Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the second half of last season.
Taking over as interim manager when John Robertson was granted compassionate leave in February, Inverness slipped into the relegation play-off spot in the Championship, but McCann turned things around with a winning run.
Caley Thistle got right back in the play-off mix, only to fall short in their last three games, but one of the highlights of McCann's tenure at the Caledonian Stadium was a win over Ross County in the Scottish Cup – could the Staggies now turn to the man who masterminded their downfall to push on in the Premiership?
Whether McCann would be interested is a different story. He reportedly turned down the ICT job on a permanent basis, and has also been linked with a return to former club Falkirk, but he has spoken of a desire to return to other projects in and out of football.
Don Cowie – 5–1
Nobody on the list is more synonymous with Ross County than Don Cowie.
The 38-year-old came through the youth system in Dingwall, rising into the first team ranks and going on to be named captain at the club before moving on and plying his trade in the English Premier League, also picking up 10 caps for Scotland.
A return to County in 2018 proved to be an apt swansong, as he helped his boyhood club to a Championship and Challenge Cup double, returning them to the top flight at the first time of asking.
After his career ended when the 2019/20 campaign was called during the first wave of the pandemic, he became a part of Stuart Kettlewell's coaching team, remaining in the role under John Hughes. Cowie would be an untested choice as his own man, but he has worked under some of the top managers in the UK in the past.
With chairman Roy MacGregor talking about ushering in a new era at the Global Energy Stadium, appointing a club legend to lead it would certainly prove to be a popular choice at least.
Stephen Robinson 6–1
Previous Staggies boss Stuart Kettlewell at times spoke of his friendship with Robinson, believing they shared a football philosophy. Whether that works for or against Robinson after both men lost their jobs last season remains to be seen.
Despite his resignation from Motherwell in December, his stock seems to have remained high in the Scottish game after leading the Fir Park outfit to both domestic cup finals in the 2017/18 season.
He was touted as a potential successor to Derek McInnes at Aberdeen before they appointed Stephen Glass, and is also reported to be in the frame to replace Micky Mellon at Dundee United, so if he is indeed the desired choice in Dingwall Roy MacGregor may have to move quickly to get him.
Barry Robson, Derek Adams and Tommy Wright – 10–1
Barry Robson is a name that seems to be a hot prospect in the managerial ranks. The Aberdeen coach has also been linked with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with Stephen Glass' reshuffle at Pittodrie potentially leaving him on the sidelines. Similarly to Cowie, he is unproven as a number one, but would have the experience edge over his fellow former midfielder, having been a coach with the Dons since 2016.
Derek Adams is the only man who could challenge Cowie's association with the Staggies. He has already had two spells in charge at the Global Energy Stadium, leading the club to the Scottish Cup final in his first spell and receiving a nomination for PFA Scotland manager of the year in his second. However, his reputation is growing in England, where he is about to play the League Two play-off final with Morecambe – and he has been linked strongly with Bradford City since Stuart McCall's sacking at the end of 2020.
Tommy Wright is something of a wildcard listing in the odds. Kilmarnock have only just gone down after losing the Premiership play-off final to Dundee, and there is no word yet out of Rugby Park on his future. He signed a two-year deal when he joined in February, but that would presumably have been with the idea that he would keep the club in the Premiership. His success at St Johnstone has not yet been forgotten, so could County tempt him to return to the top flight sooner than he may have anticipated?
Someone else
With a new era touted by chairman Roy MacGregor, could he plump for someone totally out of left-field?
Other names at longer odds include Alan Stubbs, Derek McInnes, Scot Gemmil, Stewart Petrie, Paul Hartley and John Kennedy, but it is possible the Staggies have someone else in mind entirely.
With the players now on their summer break, County have a bit of time to get things right before pre-season begins, but at the very least they will be looking for a bit more stability going forward after moving on to their third manager inside a year.
