Tam Courts has left Dundee United "to explore other options"; he took charge at Tannadice last summer; the 40-year-old led United to a fourth-place finish in the Scottish Premiership last season; sporting director Tony Ashgar says there is a "preferred candidate" to replace Courts
Tuesday 14 June 2022 13:44, UK
Tam Courts has stepped down as Dundee United boss to "explore other options" after leading the club to their highest place finish in nine years.
The 40-year-old, who took charge last summer, had been linked with a move to Croatian side Rijeka in recent weeks.
But they were not willing to pay the compensation Dundee United required with the club saying he now wanted to "explore other opportunities".
Courts led Dundee United to their highest-placed finish in nine years, securing European football for the first time in a decade.
In a statement on the club's website he said: "I'm immensely grateful to everyone at Dundee United for the opportunity they gave me to manage such a prestigious club.
"Tony Asghar took a chance on me and I had terrific backing from the owner Mark Ogren, the exec team and from my backroom staff such as Liam Fox and Adam Asghar.
"A special thank you must also go to the players who have been a joy to work with and a pleasure to lead. They give maximum effort to everything they do for the club and I hope they have continued success for next season and beyond.
"Without their support and the backing of the fans, we wouldn't have achieved our fourth-placed finish and qualification for the Europa Conference League.
"It's not an easy decision to move on from Dundee United but I believe my time with the club has helped me grow and develop immensely, both personally and professionally and I feel ready for my next challenge."
Sporting director Tony Asghar has already begun the search for Courts' successor and expects to make an announcement "in the coming days".
He thanked the coach for his impact at the club, which previously involved his role as head of tactical performance.
Ashgar also revealed the club have identified a "preferred candidate" to replace Courts.
He said: "I'd like to place on record our gratitude towards Tam Courts for the service he has given Dundee United both as head coach and in his previous role as head of tactical performance.
"We made a brave appointment last year by promoting from within but it was a calculated risk that clearly paid off.
"We enjoyed a lot of success on the field last year and qualified for Europe. This is testament to the culture we have created throughout the club.
