The Scottish FA’s chief executive, Ian Maxwell, has declared that “nothing’s off the table” in the search to replace Steve Clarke as national head coach, a process that “starts now”. The surprise announcement of Clarke’s departure came swiftly after Scotland’s exit from the World Cup, a tournament they entered with high hopes after the manager had signed a new four-year contract just before kick-off.
Scotland opened Group C with a 1-0 victory over Haiti, but consecutive defeats – 1-0 to Morocco and 3-0 to Brazil – left them relying on other results. Those calculations fell short: they finished 11th of the 12 third-placed teams, ending their campaign. Speaking from the team’s base in Charlotte, North Carolina, Maxwell revealed he had already received interest. “I’ve woken up this morning to a few messages from people that are interested in the job,” he said. “Nothing’s off the table. We need to cast the net as far and wide as we can. It’s about getting the right coach, it’s not about necessarily where they come from. There’s a lot of good managers out there and it’s up to us to make sure that we pick the right one.”
“SFA chief Ian Maxwell says 'nothing off the table' as search for new Scotland head coach begins after Steve Clarke's exit.”
Clarke, who took over in 2019, led Scotland to their first men’s tournament in 23 years, qualified for Euro 2024, and last year secured a return to… (the source cuts off but the legacy is clear). However, the World Cup disappointment prompted his exit. Maxwell emphasised the appeal of the vacancy: “We’re a really attractive job, for the right head coach, for the right manager. We’ve got a Euros that we’re [co-hosting] in 2028 to look forward to. There’s been a lot of success over the last few years and we need to make sure that we appoint someone that can improve on that and continue to drive us forward.”
The search has an added urgency: Scotland face North Macedonia, Slovenia and Switzerland in Nations League fixtures this autumn. Maxwell wants an appointment “as soon as we can” but insisted it must be “the right person”. He acknowledged the difficulty of setting a timeline: “It’s really, really difficult to put dates on it. We’ve obviously got games coming up in September.” The succession planning is underway, but with the clock ticking towards those September matches, the SFA faces a pivotal choice.
Who will step into Clarke’s shoes remains an open question – but the net is being cast wide.