Scottish FA's Crucial Head Coach Appointment After Clarke

The Scottish FA is closing in on the most important appointment it has faced in years – the successor to Steve Clarke.

Clarke walked away in the aftermath of Scotland’s World Cup group-stage exit this summer, just weeks after committing to a new four-year deal. Seven years of graft, revival and, ultimately, disappointment ended with a resignation that has left a sizeable void at the top of the national game.

Now the clock is ticking.

A search with the Nations League looming

Scotland are back in competitive action next month. The Nations League opens with a demanding four-game block, starting away to Slovenia on 26 September. By then, the SFA want clarity. Ideally, they want a new head coach in the dugout, not a caretaker holding the fort.

Chief executive Ian Maxwell and Craig Mulholland, appointed as the SFA’s chief football officer in May, are driving the process. Between them, they have cast the net wide. Candidates from across the UK have been sounded out, but the conversations have not stopped at the border. Names from abroad have also been part of the discussion as the SFA weighs up whether to stick with a Scottish voice or bring in a foreign coach with a different perspective.

Interviews have already been held. The governing body is now understood to be in the final stages of the process, edging towards a decision rather than just compiling a shortlist.

Identity at a crossroads

One of the key questions still hanging in the air is simple: what should Scotland be under the next head coach?

Clarke restored pride and structure. He delivered qualification, belief, and a sense of identity, even if the World Cup campaign ended in frustration and a familiar early exit. Whoever comes in next inherits a squad that has tasted major tournaments and expects to be there again.

That makes this appointment more than a reset. It is a handover.

The SFA must decide whether continuity is the priority – building on Clarke’s blueprint – or whether this is the moment to change direction and style, potentially with a coach from outside Scotland who views the role without the weight of recent history.

Naismith waiting in the wings

One figure already embedded in the set-up expects to remain part of the story. Steven Naismith, Clarke’s assistant, has made it clear he anticipates staying on under the new regime.

His presence offers a thread of continuity, a link to the dressing room and the standards set over the last seven years. For any incoming coach, especially one from outside Scotland, that could be invaluable. For the SFA, it is also a way to protect what has been built while still allowing a new voice to lead.

The interviews are done. The decision is close. With Slovenia on the horizon and the Nations League about to test Scotland’s resolve again, the next head coach will not be eased in gently. They will be judged from the first whistle.