Terry Butcher has yet to agree terms to take charge of Hibs, but already the queue is forming for the manager’s job at Caley Thistle.
Former Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels, Jimmy Calderwood, who worked for Dunfermline, Aberdeen, Ross County and Kilamarnock, former Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo and Alloa manager Paul Hartley are candidates to replace Butcher should he agree to take charge at Easter Road.
The Inverness board has the luxury of a looming international break to make its choice following Saturday’s Scottish Premiership match at Easter Road against Hibs. But several men are under starters orders if and when the race to replace the manager begins. Butcher is in talks with Hibs after being given permission by the Highlanders on Tuesday. He wants to take his backroom staff of assistant Maurice Malpas and goalkeeper coach and scout Steve Marsella. And there could be a role for Hibs caretaker manager Jimmy Nicholl in the new regime in Edinburgh.
As Butcher contemplates his future, the list of potential replacements is already forming. Shiels has been without a club since leaving Rugby Park in the summer and was in the running for the Hibs job until the Easter Road club’s board settled on Butcher.
Calderwood, who is back in the Netherlands, has not worked in Scottish football since leaving Ross County in May 2011 after keeping the Dingwall club in the First Division.
Another manager monitoring events at Caledonian Stadium is former Hearts manager Laszlo.
Romania-born Hungarian Laszlo, who guided the Jambos to a third-place finish in the SPL, was sacked by the Tynecastle club in January 2010. After an 18-month tenure, he holds the dubious distinction of being the longest-serving manager at Tynecastle under the Vladimir Romanov regime. He resigned as manager of the Lithuanian national team in September.
Former Scotland, Celtic and Aberdeen midfielder Hartley has impressed in his first managerial role at Alloa. The Caley Thistle board has been keeping a watching brief on the Wasps manager and in January had considered him as a possible candidate to replace Butcher when the former England captain was in discussions with English Championship side Barnsley.