The former Hibee also had managerial spells at St Mirren, Sunderland and Dundee United.
Former Hibs and Sunderland manager Jack Ross has emerged as the front runner for a significant role within the Scottish Football Association.
The former Easter Road gaffer is currently Newcastle United’s Head of Football Strategy, a position he secured last summer after several promotions from behind the scenes positions at English Premier League team. He has now been at the Toon all-in since 2023.
After his contract was terminated by Sunderland in October 2019, Ross succeeded Paul Heckingbottom at Easter Road. He guided Hibs through one of their most successful seasons in recent memory during the 2020/21 campaign, when they finished third in the league for the first time in 16 years, and reached the Scottish Cup final. However, he was sacked the following season, after a poor run of results and criticism over his style of play.
Ex Hibs boss targeted for SFA top job
According to the Daily Record, Ross has emerged as front runner to replace Andy Gould as the SFA’s new Chief Football Officer. After over 30 years working for Scottish football’s governing body, Gould left for FIFA in January to become a High Performance Specialist (HPS).
Ross’ success at Newcastle has resulted in him becoming the prime candidate for the role. If he chooses to make the switch north of the border, he’ll be tasked with helping young players make their way up from the youth ranks to Steve Clarke’s senior squad, as well as improving the national team’s performance strategy.
Whether Ross can be swayed to take up the SFA vacancy is another matter, given his current role at St James’ Park. The Premier League giants have hit a stumbling block this season but still remain an emerging powerhouse in football down south and Europe.
What does Ross’ current role at Newcastle United entail?
The 49-year old had a brief spell managing Dundee United after he left Hibs in what was his last position in the dugout. He joined Newcastle as interim Head of Coach Development and has since worked his way up to Head of Football Strategy.
Similar to the SFA vacancy, Ross is responsible for planning strategies for the club’s emerging talents, giving them a pathway into Eddie Howe’s first team. Midfielder, Lewis Miley has been a beneficiary of this in recent years. The 19-year old joined his boyhood club as an infant and has since captained them in the Champions League. Ross' role also sees him responsible for building strategic relationships with other clubs from across the UK and abroad.
The SFA are also looking to fill the Head of Elite strategy vacancy with Chris Docherty set to leave the post. Gould and Docherty developed a strong partnership together in their quest to help Scotland develop youth prospects into international heroes. The pair filed a report last season with results that Scotland were lagging behind some of their European rivals in terms of youth development.
Continue Reading