Ex Hibs defender 'among contenders' for Championship vacancy eight months on from rival sacking
Two former Hibs figures have been linked with the managerial vacancy at Championship club Airdrieonians.
A former Hibs defender is said to be ‘among the contenders’ to take charge at a Championship club following a surprise managerial departure last week.
After over three years in charge of Airdrieonians, Rhys McCabe opted to bring an end to his reign as player-manager of the Diamonds amid speculation the former Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday defender was increasingly unhappy about the club’s inability to add a new striker to his squad following the departure of forward Ben Wilson to Welsh side The New Saints.
However, Airdrie have claimed McCabe took the decision to ‘step back from the rigours of management and spend some time with his young family’ and are now fully focused on securing a permanent replacement after placing assistant manager Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and first-team coaches David Hutton and Bryan Prunty in interim charge. The Daily Record have now claimed former Hibs star James McPake is one possible option under consideration as the former Dunfermline boss remains out of work following his departure from East End Park last year.
There has also been speculation stating former Hibs boss John Rankin is also a candidate as he continues to contend with a transfer embargo that has been placed on current club Hamilton Academical. The talk of a possible move to Airdrie was sparked when Diamonds chairman Paul Hetherington was at the Accies game with East Fife at the weekend.
What have Airdrie said about Rhys McCabe’s departure?
A club statement released on Friday read: “Rhys McCabe has decided to step down from his role as player-manager of Airdrieonians with immediate effect. Rhys joined the club as a player in 2021 and was part of the team which went on an incredible 25-game unbeaten run of league fixtures, the longest in the club’s history. He was appointed player-manager in the summer of 2022 and quickly gained a reputation for free-flowing football in a debut season which ended with the Diamonds being promoted back to the Championship after a ten-year absence.
“The following season saw the club finish fourth and enter the Premiership play-offs, as well as winning the SPFL Trust Trophy for a record fifth time. Last season saw the Diamonds secure Championship football for a third consecutive season with play-off victories against Stenhousemuir and Cove Rangers. Rhys feels that now is the right time for him to step back from the rigours of management and spend some time with his young family.
“The Rhys McCabe era has been an exciting one for everyone at the club, and the board of directors would like to place on record their thanks to Rhys for his enthusiasm, commitment and professionalism throughout his time at Airdrieonians. All the best Rhys – and thank you for the memories.”