Former Sunderland coach John Potter has left his role at Raith Rovers following changes at the Scottish club
A former Sunderland coach has moved on from his latest role in Scottish football, with John Potter leaving Raith Rovers after almost three years at the Championship club.
Potter, who previously worked at the Stadium of Light under Jack Ross, departs following a period of change at Stark’s Park. Raith Rovers recently replaced Barry Robson with Dougie Imrie, and the former Morton manager has now been handed full control of football operations following Potter’s exit as technical director.
Potter, formerly a youth player at Celtic, first worked alongside Ross at St Mirren before the pair reunited at Hibernian in 2019. When Ross was appointed Sunderland head coach the following year, Potter joined him on Wearside as part of his backroom staff. He later returned to Scotland after Ross’ departure from Hibs in December 2021, taking up a managerial role at Kelty Hearts before moving into his position at Raith.
Confirming the decision, Raith Rovers said in a statement that Potter had left the club with immediate effect, adding that Imrie would now assume responsibility for the football department. Raith’s statement reads: “Raith Rovers can confirm that John Potter is no longer the Technical Director. Everyone at the football club would like to place on record our thanks to John for all his hard work, efforts, and the hours he put into his role, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours. Manager Dougie Imrie will take full control of the football department.”
Potter’s coaching journey is closely tied to that of Jack Ross, whose own career took several turns following his departure from Sunderland. Ross was appointed head coach at the Stadium of Light in May 2018, becoming the first managerial appointment of the Stewart Donald era after back-to-back relegations had left the club in League One. Tasked with stabilising Sunderland and leading a swift recovery, Ross guided the Black Cats to the play-off final in his first season, only for promotion hopes to end with defeat against Charlton Athletic at Wembley. Despite remaining in the play-off places the following campaign, Ross was dismissed in October 2019 with Sunderland sitting sixth.
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His next move came quickly, returning to Scotland with Hibernian later that year. Ross steadied the club during a disrupted first season and went on to deliver tangible progress in 2020-21, guiding Hibs to third place in the Premiership – their highest finish in more than a decade – as well as a Scottish Cup final appearance. However, a run of poor results and mounting criticism over the team’s style of play led to his departure in December 2021, just days before a League Cup final.
Ross resurfaced at Dundee United in the summer of 2022 but endured a difficult spell. Heavy domestic and European defeats, including a chastening loss to Celtic, brought a swift end to his tenure after only a handful of matches. Since stepping away from frontline management, Ross has transitioned into a strategic and developmental role. He joined Newcastle United in 2023 in a senior coaching development position and, in July 2025, was promoted to head of football strategy. The move marked a shift in focus, with Ross now working behind the scenes on long-term planning rather than matchday management.
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