The appointment of Ray McKinnon means six former pupils of legendary boss Jim McLean have now been handed the manager’s job at Dundee United.
The 45-year-old is following in the footsteps of Billy Kirkwood, Paul Sturrock, Paul Hegarty, Craig Brewster and predecessor Mixu Paatelainen.
And the harsh truth is none of those who’ve gone before have been complete successes.
Tonight the Tele looks over how Jim’s boys performed when they followed him into the Tannadice hotseat.
BILLY KIRKWOOD: 30/3/95 – 1/9/96 (win rate 47.5%)
The first from the famed youth system developed by McLean in the early 1970s to graduate to the manager’s role.
Kirkwood replaced Scottish Cup winner Ivan Golac late in the 94/95 campaign but couldn’t prevent the Tangerines losing their top-flight status for the first time in 35 years.
Kirkie did lead the team back to the Premier League at the first time of asking but only after a dramatic play-off win against Partick Thistle.
He was dismissed after a sticky start to the following season.
PAUL STURROCK: 5/9/98 – 7/8/00 (win rate 31.8%).
Having previously been first-team coach under the great man, playing legend Luggy took over from McLean’s brother Tommy after successfully cutting his managerial teeth down the road at St Johnstone.
Of all the old boys, Luggy is the one who’d have the longest and most successful career in management, even rising as high as a brief spell in the English Premier League with Southampton.
At Tannadice things went well, very well, for a while, but by his own admission the pressure of managing the club he loved took it’s effect and Sturrock moved on under two years into the job.
PAUL HEGARTY: 7/10/02 – 30/1/03 (win rate 22.2%).
United’s greatest ever captain stepped up from a coaching role to take over team selection after Alex Smith was sacked by new owner Eddie Thompson in the autumn of 2002.
Heggie took on a team that struggled to avoid relegation the season before and started the campaign poorly.
His elevation never had the feeling of a permanent appointment and it was no big surprise when he and assistant Maurice Malpas were replaced by Ian McCall after less than four months.
CRAIG BREWSTER: 16/1/06 – 29/10/06. (win rate 10%).
The 1994 Scottish Cup goal hero’s inclusion in this list can be debated. His first-team career came after McLean had retired as manager but, as a kid, the Dundonian was spotted by the Tannadice scouting network and he was on S forms, so he probably qualifies.
Brewster headed for his boyhood heroes after a successful spell in charge at Inverness Caledonian Thistle and big things were expected.
As it transpired, he and Eddie Thompson were never a good fit and Brewster was sacked following just 10 barren months in charge.
MIXU PAATELAINEN 14/10/15 – 4/5/16 (win rate 26.7%).
It would be the best part of a decade before another man who’d worked under McLean would be offered the job. In October last year, chairman Stephen Thompson turned to former fans’ favourite Paatelainen to get the team out of the hole they found themselves in at the bottom of the Premiership following a dreadful start to this season.
As the record books now show, the task was beyond Mixu and once relegation was confirmed earlier this month he had his three-year contract terminated and McKinnon took over.
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