Dundee FC have today confirmed John Brown as the club’s permanent manager on a two-year contract.
The 51-year-old was handed the role on an interim basis back in February, following the departure of previous boss Barry Smith, but the board at Dens Park say they have been “very impressed” and have moved to make the arrangement permanent.
Brown, who previously managed Clyde, has guided the Dark Blues to three wins, three draws and two defeats since taking over, and has overseen a period of improved results of late.
Dundee are still facing relegation from the SPL and could go down this weekend depending on results, but back-to-back away wins at Kilmarnock and St Mirren have prolonged their stay in the top flight.
Brown was a controversial appointment as interim boss, but his performance has seen fans warm to him and the club are hoping for a huge turnout to get behind him and the players when they host Hearts at Dens Park on Saturday.
A club spokesman said: “The board have been very impressed with the tangible levels of improvement across all areas of the playing and coaching side of the club at both the first team and under-20s level since John took over. So much so that after careful consideration the board have unanimously decided it is in the best interests of the football club to ratify John now as our permanent manager to enable him to continue his assessment and development of our current squad of players and also to maximize the time he and his coaching team has available to plan ahead for next season.”
The spokesman added: “The board hope that all supporters will join them in welcoming John back to Dens Park exactly 25 years since he left and we look forward to continuing the improvement in our performances on the park and most importantly in our results.”
Brown said: “I had some great times here as a player and it is fantastic that I now have the chance to manage what I believe is one of Scotland’s top clubs. The support have been magnificent to me and the staff at Dens, the board of directors and the CEO are all of the same mind as me in that we need to be playing at the top level of Scottish football and we are all going to work together to ensure that our future is a bright one.”
Dundee CEO Scot Gardiner said “I am delighted that John has been appointed on a full-time basis, as the hard word, dedication and professionalism he has displayed since arriving back at Dens has been an inspiration to everyone and has been rewarded in the results on the park.”
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