Former Hibs coach leaves Scottish club as manager assumes full control in major shake-up

By Gbam Godwin On Feb 7, 2026

Former Hibs coach leaves Scottish club as manager assumes full control in major shake-up.

The former Hibernians coach has also worked for Sunderland. A former Hibs and Sunderland coach has left his position at another Scottish team.

This season has seen a time of change for Raith Rovers, with Dougie Imrie taking over as manager after Barry Robson.

Following John Potter’s departure from Stark’s Park, the former Morton manager has been given complete control for the Scottish Championship club’s football department.

He joined Hibernian as Jack Ross’ assistant in 2019.

The pair first worked together at St Mirren, and when Sunderland came knocking for the then-Buddies manager, Potter accompanied him to the Stadium of Light.

Potter departed Hibs after Ross’ dismissal in December 2021 to become manager of Kelty Hearts the following June.

He has been in charge of Kirkcaldy for over three years, but the former Hibs and Sunderland manager is stepping down.

Who is in control of football department at Raith Rovers?

Raith Rovers has confirmed that John Potter is no longer the Technical Director.

Everyone at the football club would like to express our gratitude to John for all of his hard work, efforts, and hours put into his role, and we wish him all the best in his future aspirations.Manager Dougie Imrie will take complete responsibility of the football department.

Potter explained his job at Hibs in 2020, where he formed a solid relationship with current Easter Road forward Martin Boyle: “He is a fantastic guy, and I think I recognise little elements of myself in him.

At our level, there may be a lot of ups and downs in a season, so having people who can bring you up and make you smile and laugh is beneficial.

“You see a lot of young boys coming through who are robotic, but they are good and dedicated to the game. You need all types of personalities in a changing room, and Martin is definitely different!

Ante Suto on Hibs debut

“A large part of my position entails developing relationships in order to establish the necessary trust level. I’m here to help, not to harm anyone.

If you have that relationship, you can be brutally honest with them, telling them exactly what you expect, which is a wonderful place to start.

There will always be arguments, and you will have varying connections with different people. Some are calmer, while others, such as Martin, are loud and vibrant, but a changing room need a variety of personalities.

Back at Hibernian, David Gray’s team is celebrating a 3-2 Premiership victory over Dundee United, with debutant Ante Suto scoring a second-half stoppage time header. He said full-time:

“I feel great. I couldn’t have imagined a finer start. First game, first win in front of home fans, it’s fantastic.

“We demonstrated that even when we were down 2-1, we would play until the end. We give it our all, therefore we’re satisfied with the three points and the win.

And it’s my debut, so it’s even more incredible. I’m not sure what I was thinking. But you witnessed my joy and what it means to me. It’s a fantastic start.