Hull City confirm Nigel Adkins as head coach
Thursday 7 December 2017 09:03, UK
Hull City have confirmed the appointment of Nigel Adkins as their new head coach following the departure of former boss Leonid Slutsky earlier this week.
Slutsky left the Championship club by mutual consent on Monday, just six months after replacing Marco Silva at the KCOM Stadium.
The Tigers won only four league games under the Russian and now face the prospect of successive relegations, with the club just three points above the drop zone.
Former Southampton and Reading boss Adkins, who has been without a managerial role since being sacked by Sheffield United in 2016, has been handed an 18-month contract at the KCOM Stadium.
The 52-year-old will take charge of his first match when Hull host Brentford on Saturday afternoon, with his first away trip coming at Cardiff on December 16, live on Sky Sports Football.
Hull confirmed the appointment of Adkins in a statement on Thursday, which read: "The Tigers are pleased to announce Nigel Adkins as the Club's new Head Coach.
"Adkins, a Championship promotion-winner with Southampton in 2012, will be joined at the KCOM Stadium by his trusted assistant Andy Crosby on an 18-month contract.
"As well as his success with Southampton, where he took the south coast club from League One to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions, Adkins also guided Scunthorpe United to promotion in 2007 and 2009, and has spells in charge of Reading and Sheffield United on his CV.
"Adkins, 52, will oversee his first training session this morning and will take charge of the side for Saturday's home game against Brentford."
Adkins began his managerial career at Welsh club Bangor City before moving to Scunthorpe United in 2006, where he twice guided the club to promotion from League One to the Championship during his four years at Glanford Park.
He later signed a three-year deal with Southampton and became the first Saints manager to secure back-to-back promotions - successfully steering the club from League One to the Premier League.
Adkins, who was sacked by the Saints in 2013 to be replaced by Mauricio Pochettino, moved on to Reading but was dismissed the following season after failing to mount a promotion push at the Madejski Stadium.
The former Tranmere and Wigan goalkeeper was then appointed manager of Sheffield United in 2015 but was sacked by the League One club less than a year later, with the Blades struggling in mid-table.
