Hibernian have announced that head coach Nick Montgomery has been relieved of his duties after a disappointing season that saw the Edinburgh club miss out on a top 6 spot in the Scottish Premiership.
Montgomery replaced Lee Johnson in September, having guided Central Coast Mariners to the A-League championship in 2023.
After his sacking, Hibs are now seeking their sixth permanent team boss in just over four years, following a chaotic spell for the Leith side.
Tuesday also saw the announcement that Malky Mackay has been appointed Sporting Director at the club. Part of his remit is to appoint the next head coach.
For now, former club captain David Gray steps in for a fourth spell as caretaker manager for the remaining two games of the season, with Motherwell visiting Easter Road on Wednesday before a visit to already-relegated Livingston on Sunday.
Next Hibs Manager Betting Odds
With six men in charge at Easter Road in just over four years, the top job at Hibs is seen as a poisoned chalice despite being a well-run club under the Gordon family.
With recent investment from the owners of Bournemouth, the Black Knight Football Club, cash will be available for the new manager, and we check out who the leading candidates for the Hibs job are.
- David Gray - 4/1
- Derek McInnes - 4/1
- Scot Gemmill - 7/1
- Neil Lennon - 9/1
- Stephen Robinson - 9/1
- Alex Neil - 10/1
- Scott Brown - 10/1
Odds correct at time of writing with McBookie (May 16, 5:00pm)
Leading Candidates to be the Next Hibs Manager
Let’s look at some of the names towards the head of the betting market.
David Gray
Gray wrote himself into the history books at Easter Road when he scored the stoppage-time winner against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final in 2016, and he would be a popular choice with the Easter Road faithful.
Since retiring from playing in June 2021, he has been a first-team coach at Easter Road and been caretaker manager following the sackings of Jack Ross, Shaun Maloney, Lee Johnson, and now Nick Montgomery.
Derek McInnes
McInnes was the man Hibs fans wanted last time, and he’s done wonders at Kilmarnock this season, guiding them to a top-six finish and qualifying for the Europa League.
Hibs would need to splash the cash to prise McInnes away from Rugby Park, though, and would the ex-Aberdeen boss be happy to work under a Sporting Director?
Scot Gemmill
With the announcement of Mackay as Sporting Director at Easter Road, Gemmill has entered the conversation due to the pair working together at the SFA - Mackay as the Performance Director and Gemmill as the under-17 and under-21 coach.
Although lacking any experience in coaching at a club level, Gemmill has vast experience at an international level and first-hand knowledge of the Scottish game.
Neil Lennon
Lennon has already been in the hot seat at Easter Road, guiding Hibs to promotion from the Scottish Championship in 2017 and then building on that the following season by leading them to fourth spot in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League qualification.
He left in 2019 under a shadow following disciplinary reasons, and with Romanian giants Rapid Bucharest courting his services, he may not be willing to return to Easter Road.
Stephen Robinson
Robinson is another Scottish Premiership manager who has his side punching above their weight this season. He has steered St Mirren to a top-six finish and to the brink of qualifying for Europe.
The Northern Irishman also enjoyed success with Motherwell, leading them to two domestic cup finals. However, like McInnes, Hibs would need to financially compensate the Buddies if they decide Robinson is the man they want.
Alex Neil
Neil’s name is mentioned whenever a top job in Scottish football becomes available, and he was most recently linked with Hearts and Aberdeen.
He was in the running for the Hibs job before Montgomery’s appointment before ruling himself out, and question marks have to be asked whether anything has changed to make him reconsider now.
Scott Brown
Brown spent eight years as a player at Easter Road before moving along the M8 to Celtic, where he gained legendary status. However, he is still well-liked by the Hibs faithful.
Now a coach, he is the boss of Scottish Championship side Ayr United following a disappointing spell in charge of Fleetwood Town, and although there’s no doubting his knowledge of the Scottish game, a move to Hibs could be seen as too soon.
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