Next St Mirren Manager Odds: Who Will Replace Stephen Robinson In Paisley?
St Mirren are searching for a new manager after Stephen Robinson ended his four-year reign at the club to join Scottish Premiership relegation rivals Aberdeen as a permanent successor to Jimmy Thelin.
Robinson is one of the most successful managers in the history of the Buddies, who enjoyed three consecutive top-six finishes and only a second League Cup triumph in the club’s history during his tenure.
St Mirren face Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, too, so he has sacrificed the chance of a domestic double for a move to a club not guaranteed to be playing in the top flight next season.
Craig McLeish, Jamie Langfield and Allan McManus have taken charge of first-team matters until the club find a successor with the help of a global football recruitment agency.
Betting sites have installed Aberdeen assistant manager Tony Docherty as the early favourite to replace Robinson, but there are several other names in the frame.
We take a look at the leading candidates and the latest next St Mirren manager odds.
An interim coaching team has been put in place with Craig McLeish working alongside Jamie Langfield and Allan McManus to take charge of first-team matters until a new management team is appointed.
— St Mirren FC (@saintmirrenfc) March 12, 2026
Craig has been part of the first-team setup in recent months following his… pic.twitter.com/MyUng7zRu0
Next St Mirren Manager Odds: Docherty Future Uncertain
Docherty joined Aberdeen as an assistant to caretaker manager Peter Leven in February, but a question mark hangs over his future.
Robinson took former Ireland manager Brian Kerr with him to Pittodrie, which means there could be a surplus of assistants on the north-east coast of Scotland.
Most recently, Docherty had a disappointing three-month spell in charge of Ross County which ended in December, but he steered Dundee to a top-six finish in his debut 2023/24 season at Dens Park.
The Dark Blues escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth in the following campaign and Docherty was subsequently sacked, but he is the 7/4 favourite on betting apps to get back on the managerial merry-go-round in Paisley.
Next St Mirren Manager Odds:
Manager | Odds | Probability |
Tony Docherty | 7/4 | 36.4% |
Gary Naysmith | 15/8 | 34.8% |
Charlie Adam | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Simo Valakari | 3/1 | 25% |
Scott Brown | 4/1 | 20% |
Diarmuid O'Carroll | 9/2 | 18.2% |
Steven Naismith | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Robbie Neilson | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Neil Lennon | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Naysmith Has Worked Wonders With Warriors
Former Scotland international Gary Naysmith has made a stunning impact at Stenhousemuir, who have a genuine chance of playing in the second tier for the first time since the mid-1970s.
The ex-Hearts and Everton player steered the Warriors to promotion from Scottish League Two as champions in his first full season in charge (2023/24), their first title in 140 years.
They reached the Championship play-offs with a fourth-place finish last season, but are just two points behind leaders Inverness Caledonian Thistle in what is turning out to be a thrilling title battle.
There is a chance Stenhousemuir could be playing St Mirren in the Championship next season, but Naysmith is 15/8 to help keep the Buddies in the SPL.
Adam Wants Buddies Post
Charlie Adam has already thrown his hat into the ring about the St Mirren vacancy and is 2/1 to get the job.
Adam has only experienced one managerial role which came at Fleetwood in the 2023/24 season and is keen to get back into the dug-out since leaving Everton as a set-piece specialist in June last year.
The former midfielder spent the 2005/6 season on loan at St Mirren from Rangers, scoring five goals in 29 appearances, a spell which set him on the path to a successful career at Blackpool, Liverpool and Stoke.
The Buddies board may not want to take a risk on Adam at this critical stage of the season, bearing in mind they are just three points clear of second-from-bottom Kilmarnock, but the Daily Record claims he is keen on the vacancy.
Valakari In The Mix
Simo Valakari could not keep St Johnstone in the SPL when he was appointed manager in October 2024, but he led the club to the Scottish Cup semi-finals and they have a great chance of making an immediate return to the top flight this season.
The Finn’s high-intensity approach has worked well in the Championship, where the Saints are eight points clear at the top of the table.
Valakari is 3/1 to jump ship and take on the task of keeping St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
Brown For Buddies?
Elsewhere, Scott Brown hopes to lead Ayr to the Scottish Championship play-offs for a second successive year and can be backed at 4/1 for the Buddies job.
Diarmuid O’Carroll was Robinson’s assistant at St Mirren for more than three years until he became Brian Priske’s number two at Sparta Prague last summer.
O’Carroll seems to be enjoying his time in the Czech Republic and is 9/2 for the St Mirren job, just ahead of 5/1 shot Steven Naismith.
The ex-Rangers and Everton forward has SPL managerial experience with his former club Hearts, but he is busy preparing Scotland for their World Cup campaign as Steve Clarke’s assistant.
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Two-time Hearts manager Robbie Neilson, now assistant head coach at Belgian outfit Lommel SK, is 8/1, while Neil Lennon is 10/1.
The multiple trophy winner with Celtic is now in charge of Championship side Dunfermline, who reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 victory over Aberdeen.
However, Lennon appears to be happy at East End Park and is planning for the long-term future of the club.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
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