McCoist was put on gardening leave just hours before Monday's stormy AGM after handing in his resignation notice three days earlier.
Former Celtic coach McDowall has been put in temporary charge at least until the end of the season with ex-Rangers and Scotland striker Gordon Durie stepping up from his role as coach of the U20 side to assist with first-team duties.
Club captain Lee McCulloch joins the duo as player-coach with Durrant taking over the U20s role vacated by Durie.
Speaking at his first press conference as Rangers boss McDowall said he was 'saddened' to see McCoist leave, labelling him 'the glue which kept the club together for the last three years'.
McDowall, who held late-night talks with club chairman Sandy Easdale and new CEO Derek Llambias at Ibrox on Sunday, said: "The board intimated to myself that Ally had been put on garden leave and they told me they were going to make some changes to the structure of the coaching team.
"Gordon was to come up from the 20s to assist me and they wanted to make Lee a player-coach and I was to start immediately.
"Was my opinion sought? No, they asked me if I could make those changes immediately. But the decision was made by them. As for Durranty, that was the board's decision too. They asked me to carry it out which I duly did as I was asked to inform the guys of the changes being made.
Saddened
"Ian Durrant is an excellent professional. He always has been throughout his career and he took the news no problem at all. He has been at that level before and done very well and is more than happy to do a job for the club that he loves."
On McCoist's tenure, which saw him win the Third and Second Division titles, McDowall said: "Obviously I was very saddened to see a good friend depart the club which he has been absolutely unbelievable for for the past three years, longer if you take his playing career into account.
"I was surprised as I didn't know it was coming. Listen, we are all big boys... and these things happen in football. But he is my mate first and foremost. We speak every other day and that is not going to change.
"He appreciates what has happened to myself but like the true star he is, he is calling on me to keep Rangers winning, which I will do my very best for, along with the guys here beside me.
"But in terms of my working relationship with him over the last three years, it has been a bumpy ride and I think Ally McCoist has been the glue that kept this whole club together and I was obviously very sad when I got told the news.
"When he came in to say goodbye to the players and staff, like the man he is, he finished by telling them nothing would make him more proud if they went on to win the title... and that would be a fitting tribute to Ally."
Asked if he would like the manager's job on a full-time basis, McDowall, who joined Rangers as a coach under Walter Smith at the end of the 2010-11 season, added: "I am just going to take one game at a time and try and get Rangers winning on the park. That is as much as I can do. Get the team performing on the park."
Watch McDowall's first game in charge of the Championship side against Hibernian at Easter Road live on Sky Sports 1 from midday this Saturday
0 comments:
Post a Comment