Ross County have confirmed that Don Cowie will continue as manager despite the club’s recent relegation from the Scottish Premiership, and have also announced the appointment of former Inverness Caledonian Thistle boss John Robertson as assistant manager.
The announcement, made a week after the club’s demotion was sealed following defeat to Livingston, marks a significant restructuring of the football department at the Dingwall side.
In a statement, the club reiterated their faith in Cowie and outlined their intentions to bounce back immediately from relegation:
“Last week’s result against Livingston resulting in us playing in the Championship next season has left everyone at the club, personally and collectively, hugely disappointed.
“We know how much playing Premiership football matters to our community, and we share their deep frustration at how the season concluded.
“As you might imagine, we have done a lot of soul searching at the club over the last week, and following that, have decided to restructure our football management team under Don Cowie as we make gaining immediate promotion our sole focus.”
The shake-up sees assistant manager Carl Tremarco and coach Paul Cowie depart with immediate effect.
In their place, John Robertson, a familiar figure in Highland football with managerial spells at both Ross County and Inverness, steps in as Cowie’s new right-hand man.
The club added:
“We believe strongly that we have a dedicated and talented manager in Don and that he is the right man to lead us for the season ahead.
“To support Don, we have appointed the experienced John Robertson as assistant manager with immediate effect.
‘Carl Tremarco and Paul Cowie will leave the club, and we thank them for their efforts and wish them well for the future.
“John has more than 400 games under his belt as a manager, knows the challenge of recruiting from our base in the Highlands, has experience of the Scottish Championship, and has worked with Don in the past.
“He already knows the club well and has spent much of last season watching from the sidelines in his role as a BBC pundit.”
Chief executive Steven Ferguson also voiced his support for the revamped coaching team, underlining the club’s ambition to secure a swift return to top-flight football.
“Everyone at the club is determined to put us in the best position possible to gain promotion back into the Premiership and to do so within a season,” Ferguson said.
“Bringing John in to support Don, will allow us to reshape the playing squad and turn things around as quickly as possible.”
