Jon Tully is hoping to use what he’s learned from Fraser Duncan as he takes charge of Sauchie Juniors.
The former Reds defender has coached the U18s and U20s teams for a number of years and has now been chosen to lead the first team until the end of the season.
His move up follows the shock departure of Duncan, Darren Cummings, Andy Brown and Greig Maitland after the Dundonald Bluebell game earlier this month.
Speaking to Advertiser Sport, Tully revealed the former gaffer gave him his full backing, personally tipping him for the job.
He said: “The guys had decided that their time was up and they wanted to move on. I was asked because I had taken the U18s and U20s so I was still at the club.
“I spoke to Fraser about it and he said ‘To me, you’re the automatic guy who should go for it and I’ll put your name forward to the committee’.
“He told me that if I was going to be at training and at the Hill of Beath game, I could just fire straight in and take it myself so that’s how it went.”
His first job coaching the senior team, Tully will hope to ensure a smooth transition in the dugout, having been at the club since 2007.
In that time, he retired as a player and began to turn his attention to leading the youth sections of the club.
Additionally, he would take training when Duncan and Cummings were at work, which has helped build a relationship with the squad.
“I’ve known Fraser a long, long time,” Tully continued. “I got here the year before he came so we’ve been together on and off for about 16, 17 years.
“I’ve built up a good relationship with him and then the last few years, I’ve been helping on the coaching side as well.
“I’ve learned a lot from him from watching him, so hopefully I’ve picked up some good traits.”
“It’ll be the same but a lot more pressure and a different mindset now. I always coached the 18s and 20s, but I’d do the first team when the guys were working.
“The first team know me anyway and the way I train so I’m not a big difference to them.”
Looking ahead, Tully takes the reins of the club still feeling the effects of the COMET points deduction.
Sauchie were docked 15 points and removed from a cup competition for fielding unregistered players, leaving them bottom of the league.
The club had bounced back, however, and managed to escape the relegation zone, with Tully saying full attention will be on moving away from the bottom spots and the upcoming League Cup campaign.
He added: “We’ve got the League Cup to play for, we won it last year and want to retain it so that’ll be good.
“We’ll need to take every game as it comes. Hill of Beath, there was a lot of emotion behind it with Fraz and Daz leaving and the news that Hamish Mitchell had passed away.
“That day took care of itself, last week against Whitburn was more a test for us and we had to treat it as more going back to football.
“We want them to enjoy playing for Sauchie again, the COMET thing really hurt a lot of people and it’s mentally taken a lot out the team.
“Being deducted all those points, it’s been a hard season to get back into it and it’s a killer blow to start the season with.
“Mentally, it’s been a tough year for the club as a whole so I’ve told them go out and enjoy yourselves for the rest of the season and take it from there.”
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