Billy Mckay reckons being pitched into the role as Caley Thistle assistant manager could be the first step towards becoming a boss in his own right.
The Highland club’s record scorer, former club captain and now player and assistant boss to Scott Kellacher is helping to guide the players through troubled times.
ICT’s administration was confirmed in October, leading to manager Duncan Ferguson and his coaching staff axed by administrators BDO.
Kellacher and Mckay were swiftly appointed as the management front-liners, aided by experienced academy coaches Ross Jack and Gordon Nicolson.
A 15-point penalty for going down the administration route pushed the inconsistent team down to the foot of the table, yet they were lifted up to ninth when Dumbarton suffered the same fate.
Improved results have lifted the Caley Jags into ninth position and, ahead of Saturday’s home clash against Cove Rangers, they sit eight points behind nearest rivals Annan Athletic.
Mckay seeing another side to ICTFC
When asked whether these opening two months strengthened ambition to go into coaching full-time after hanging up his boots, the 113-goal hit-man said: “Definitely.
“Anyone who knows me knows that’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always looked at that side of the game since I was younger.
“If anything, it has strengthened it for me as something I want to do when I finish playing.
“It hasn’t been exactly as I imagined, but it has been really good.
“One thing from being on the other side is you see little problems behind the scenes that you don’t see as a player.
“There are little daily or weekly problems that you need to deal with, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
‘No better guy to learn from than Scott Kellacher’
Kellacher has worked his way to the head coach role after serving the club for over 20 years, working from the community department right through to first-team coaching level.
With that background, 36-year-old Mckay, who has played for ICT for almost a decade over three spells, believes he’s learning plenty from the new manager.
He added: “Working with the gaffer, he has probably done every job under the sun at this club, so there’s no better guy to learn from in terms of how he wants it done.
“It has been great. He has been great with me., The lads have been great as well.
“Obviously, I still train through most of the week. I have a Monday where I focus more on the coaching side, but the rest of the week is training.
“When my training finishes, I’m back doing more coaching. It has been a really good experience.
“I’m finding the balance between the two just fine. I was a wee bit worried as to how it would go in terms of the lads and how they would see me.
“But it has been like normal. The lads have been great.”
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